
LIBRAR 




CONGRESS. 


Chap,. Cop^ight No.„^ 

Shelfij 


pyright No. 


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 





/ 

















Mes of Foreign Lands. 

A Series of Stories for the Young. 


COIvI^ECTED BY 


REV. JOSEPH SPILLMANN, S. J. 


VOL. III. 

Children of Mary. 


ST. LOUIS, MO. 189G. 


Published by B. HERDER, 
17 South Broadway. 


Children of Mary. 


A TALE OF THE CAUCASUS. 


BY 


/ 

Rev. Joseph Spillmann, S. J. 


u 


Translated from the German 

BY 

Miss Helena Long. 



a 


Copyright 1896 by Jos. Gummersbach. 


IX - 


\ 


— BECKTOLD— 

PRINTING AND BOOK MFG. CO. 
ST. LOUIS, MO. 


Contents. 


I. The Departure - - - 7 

II. In the Russian Camp - - 20 

III. The Young Pole - - - 25 

IV. The Superstitions of the Abkasians 34 

V. The Sacrificial Feast - - 41 

VI. A Conversation in the Ruins of 

Drandi 53 

VII. The First Instruction - - 62 

VIII. The Old Man on the Elbruz - 73 

IX. Various Plans - - - 83 

X. Temptations - - - - 92 

XI. The Russians come - - 100 

XII. The Crisis - - - - 109 


I 




I 


A 

V 


i 


» 


I 



9 

% 


i 


% 


r 


( 



4 




t 




\ 


1 * 


7 







\ 


% 


• • 

» 4 


» I 




9 • » 




rw, 

k 



t » 


■ 

« f 


I-*' 


/•-I 



V • * ^• 

* '/'I * 1 







» »- 


* 



^i-V. 



% 


f 


\ 


o 


k A 


CHILDREN OF MARY. 


I. 

The Departure. 

Between the Black Sea and the Caspian 
the gigantic range of the Caucasus rises up 
above the clouds and forms the natural 
boundary between Europe and Asia. Its 
two highest snow-capped peaks, Elbruz and 
Kasbec, are well named, for Elbruz means, 
^the Shining,^ and Kasbec, the ^ White 
mountain,’ and both exceed MOnt Blanc in 
height. Travellers well-acquainted with 
mountainous countries, have observed the 
striking resemblance which exists between 
the Caucasian range and the wildest and 
grandest regions of the Swiss Tyrolean Alps. 
And the brave character, and great love of 
freedom, usually possessed by the sons of 
the mountains, are also to be found amongst 
the inhabitants of the Caucasus. For nearly 
a century the Caucasian races struggled for 
their liberty against Eussian supremacy. It 

( 7 ) 


8 


Children of Mary, 

cost the Czar the hves of half a million brave 
soldiers to reduce them to subjection! And 
he did not subdue them but simply crushed 
them by overwhelming numbers. 

We will tell our young friends a tale about 
the last years of this struggle, in which fact 
and fiction are intermixed. 

From the wave-beaten rocky shores of 
the Black Sea, the mountains rise in steep 
declivities to the first range. Impenetrable 
forests of wild fig trees, primeval chestnuts, 
wide-branching planes, and other trees, 
intermingled with thick underwood, prickly 
acacias, cactuses, and tall ferns, form a 
thicket barrier through which but few paths 
lead. Then follows the first high valley 
and the mountains rise up again in ever 
increasing wildness of form to higher and 
higher chains and ridges. 

Here the oak and elm and other leaf-pro- 
ducing trees no longer grow ; but in their 
place gigantic pine and fir trees of immense 
age are found. The torrents rush foaming 
down over the rocky-walls and through 
wildernesses of stone; and their steep, 
slanting beds afford almost the only ap- 
proach to the high-lying pasture lands of 


9 


Children of Mary. 

the Abkasians. For, strange as it may 
seem, in the very heart of the Caucasus, 
hemmed in by rock and forest, are found 
rich meadows and pasture lands watered by 
clear streams, and beautiful in the rich 
freshness of their verdure. In the rich 
pastures the flocks of the Abkasians graze. 
On the precipices, in places protected from 
the cold icy winds which blow from steep 
Elbruz, and from the western hurricanes 
which sweep over the Black Sea, the hardy 
Abkasian people build their habitations. 
Each family has its own homestead which 
is called a ^^juneh.’’ A high strongly- 
twisted hurdle-fence, with prickly thorn 
bushes fastened on the top shuts in a spa- 
cious court. The centre is unoccupied. 
Along one side of the enclosure stand the 
huts ; the other side serves as stabling for 
the horned cattle and as a fold for sheep 
and goats. In the middle of the huts is the 
Junehschuha, (great house) where the father 
of the family lives with his wife and the 
children who are under twelve years of age. 
The grown-up sons and daughters, as well 
as the slaves with their famihes, have their 
own particular huts ; but all belong to the 


10 


Children of Mary, 

same homestead. Thus it may happen that 
a Juneh numbers more than a hundred 
inhabitants, and looks with its many dwell- 
ings, stables and storehouses almost like a 
village. 

The homestead of the Tfohol (Frankhn) 
Usban-ok of the Koble tribe, in which the 
scene of our story is partly laid, was a home- 
stead, such as that which I have described, 
and it contained more than a hundred souls. 
It was situated in one of those mountain 
valleys we have just been speaking of. The 
huts were backed by a high precipice over- 
grown with ivy, and, in front of the 
enclosure stretched a broad green mountain- 
meadow, through which a rushing stream, 
which had its source amid the rocks hurried 
along over its pebbly course. 

One evening in the early spring of the 
year 1860, a boy had just been merrily 
singing and calhng his flocks to this stream 
to drink, when suddenly his lively song 
ceased as three horsemen sprang off their 
noble steeds on to the fleld path. The boy, 
greatly astonished, looked with wonder at 
the rich clothing and the bright bejewelled 
weapons of the warriors. ^^These are no 


11 


Children of Mary, 

ordinary Tfokol^’’ (Franklins) said the boy 
to himself. ^^They must be knights or 
princes. How their sabres sparkle with 
gold and precious stones. Even my father’s 
weapons are not so handsome as these! ” 

^ ^Halloa! httle man! Is the iybA;oZUsban- 
ok in his homestead?” asked the foremost 
horseman as he sprang from the saddle. 

^^My father,” said the boy, folding his 
hands over his breast and bowing low, ^ds 
in the homestead, Prince. Will you ride 
there to him, or shall I go and call him?” 

^^What a polite httle boy you are! What 
is your name? and how do you know that 
I am a prince?” enquired the horseman, 
stroking his long brown beard. 

^^Marjub is the name of your humble 
servant, and he knows that you are a prince 
by the splendor of your weapons.” 

^‘You are a clever boy, Marjub, and if 
you fight bravely against the Russians some 
day you shall have just such beautiful 
weapons as these I bear. Go now and call 
your father.” 

Marjub bowed and said: ^^0 Prince, hOw 
I wish I was as big as my brother Malek 
and could go to fight the Russians! — ” 


12 


Children of Mary, 

Then he added: will go to the homestead 

now, but, please, be so kind as to tell your 
companions to look after my cows in the 
meantime; for the yellow one is vicious, 
and has run away into the wood more than 
once.^’ 

The horsemen laughed at the simple 
request, but the prince assured the boy 
that he would himself keep the yellow cow 
well in sight. So Marjub hastened to the 
homestead. In a few minutes old Usban-ok 
stood before the prince. 

^Tardon me, Usban-ok, for not entering 
your house as a guest, said the prince. 
‘^Time presses. We must get over the pass 
to the tribe of the Mokotch to-day. News 
has been received from the Ossets, that the 
Russians are advancing from Tiflis to the 
Kasbec Pass in force with cannon and 
materials of war. I think we shall trap them 
in the ravine between the two passes. But 
we must ride as fast as the horses can carry 
us to get there in time. You will join us, 
brave Usban-ok? How many men can your 
homestead furnish ? ’ ’ 

^^Thirty-five, well-armed and well-dis- 
ciplined warriors, answered Usban-ok 


13 


Children of Mary. 

proudly. ^^None shall remain behind except 
Mahmud, the armorer, who must repair 
the Russian arms which have been captured. 
But we are out of powder.^’ 

^‘We will get powder from the Russians 
themselves, said the prince. ^^So have 
the horses saddled at once. The great fir 
tree by the Iba brook is the rendezvous. 
With these words the horsemen galloped ofi 
waving their hands in adieu. 

Usban-ok drew a pistol from his girdle 
and discharged it. Then he gave a peculiar, 
long-drawn cry — the signal which sum- 
moned the Abkasians to battle. It was 
scarcely half an hour before Ml the inhabi- 
tants of the huts and from the hill tops 
were assembled in presence of their chieftain. 
Usban-ok stood by the side of his noble 
high-spirited steed already saddled. He 
had girded on his scimetar, the handle and 
sheath of which were richly ornamented. He 
had also a pair of pistols and a long dagger 
stuck in his belt. Across his shoulders he 
had slung a light musket, whilst a formid- 
able battle-axe hung from the horse’s saddle. 
His ivory cartridge box was well supplied. 
When he saw his sons and servants gathered 


14 Children of Mary. 

together, he drew his gleaming sword — 
looked around him with flashing eyes, and 
said: 

sons and people of my Juneh! The 
war-cry has sounded on our mountains 
again. It is the old enemy, the Russian 
bear, who covets our beautiful lands, our 
fat flocks and rich honeycombs. Already 
several times have our bees so covered him 
with stings that he has packed off on his 
way howling with rage and pain. And now 
we will receive him again with stings more 
painful still and avenge the evil which he 
brought upon our brothers in the east — the 
noble Sheik Shamyl and his followers. Let 
us rather die than bend our necks beneath 
the Russian yoke ! What business have they 
in these our mountains which have belonged 
to our race and to our ancestors for so many 
generations? We covet not the lands of the 
Czar — then let him leave us our homes in 
peace. For three quarters of a century he 
has been flghting against us — he has mur- 
dered our sons and fathers, and kidnapped 
our wives and children. He desires to 
wrench from us the very earth on which we 
stand. Let us avenge ourselves for all the 


15 


Children of Mary, 

blood which has been spilled — for all the 
tears which have been shed, and show the 
shameless robbers of what tribe we are. Re- 
member how we defended ourselves when 
the Turks strove to force their dominion 
and their faith upon us. Their faith!! it is 
bad indeed but the faith of the Russians is 
still worse! Were it not so, how could they 
think of waging such an unjust war! We 
will maintain and keep alive the ancient 
faith of our fathers — faith in the great Tha 
(God) ; and in Jesha (Jesus) the son of the 
great Tha; and in the holy cross that he 
bore ; and in the blessed Mara, the Mother 
of God; and in the mountain churches, 
which the Moslems — May God punish them 
fori^! — destroyed; and in the feasts and 
fasts. That is our creed, and we will not 
change it for any other — be it Turkish, or 
Christian ! And we will conquer or die for 
our freedom and for our homes, and for 
our native land!^^ ^Wictory or death !^^ 
repeated the warriors enthusiastically, and 
the naked swords gleamed bright in the 
rays of the setting sun. 

^ ^Good-bye to you, my children, and maid 
servants. I leave you under the protection 


16 Children of Mary. 

of old Murkos who will rule and govern in 
my stead till my return. Don^t cry, my 
little Mara! Your mother never wept when 
I went forth to the holy wars. And you, 
Marjuh, my brave boy, don^t cry ! 

^^No, father! How I wish I could go with 
you to load your gun! 

^^Next time, my boy, when you are 
bigger.^’ With these words the father 
pressed his boy to his bosom, and tenderly 
kissed his httle Mara. Then greybearded 
as he was, he leaped nimbly as a young 
man into the saddle, ^^Grood-bye! he called 
out again and again as he galloped off 
amidst the cracking of whips and the loud 
shouting of the troop of horsemen. 

^ ^Good-bye ! was echoed back from those 
who remained behind and stood looking 
after them until the last man had disap- 
peared in the dark woods. 

Then little Mara said to her brother: 

^ ^Marjuh, we can still see them from the 
top of the rock.’^ Hand in hand the chil- 
dren went towards the rocky wall, which 
overshadowed the homestead, and mounted 
the steps. From the summit of the rock a 
glorious view of east and west lay stretched 


17 


Children of Mary. 

before them. Over the wooded-hill-tops a 
portion of the Black Sea was visible ; and 
the crimson light of the setting sun seemed 
to have set on fire its rolling billows. In 
the east the icy summits of Elbruz and the 
neighboring mountains shone above the 
dark fir woods like molten gold. 

The two children stood for a while silently 
looking towards the mountain chain through 
which a pass led to the valley beyond. 

There they are ! they suddenly exclaimed 
and waved their hands. ^ ^Father is looking 
and Malek is waving his hand — Grood-bye! 
G-ood-bye!^^ 

When the white garments of the warriors • 
had disappeared in the mountain fastnesses, 
the children seated themselves on a block 
of stone and remained for a time silently 
gazing into the depths below. At length 
little Mara said to her brother: 

^^Marjub, if the wicked Eussians were to 
kill father we should be poor orphan chil- 
dren, for we have lost our dear mother 
already.^’ 

^^They won’t kill him, Mara, but father 
will kill them. His gun carries far; and he 


18 


Children of Mary, 

aims true; and with his battle-axe he will 
slay them. Besides our brother Malek will 
protect him.’’ 

^^Ah, Marjub, our cousin, the great Grori, 
was also strong and brave but yet he fell in 
the last battle. — Do you remember what 
mother used often to tell us about blessed 
Mara? The Mother of Grod dwells in Heaven, 
it is true, whither she went up on beautiful 
red clouds hke those floating over the sea. 
But she often comes down to earth again, 
and wanders about amongst men. And 
when she finds any good children who love 
and honor her, she blesses them and preserves 
them from all harm. 0, Marjub, don’t you 
hear a soft murmuring sound in the brush- 
wood where all was quiet just now? Who 
knows, perhaps the great Mara is passing 
unseen over us. Come, we will pray to her ! ’ ’ 

The children knelt down, raised up their 
hands towards the glowing sky, and the 
httle maiden thus prayed: ^^0, Mara, Grreat 
Tha Nan (Mother of Gl-od) if you are passing 
by on yonder golden cloud, and can hear 
our voices ; protect our father and brother 
and all our people! ” 


19 


Children of Mary, 

Obtain for them victory and glory and 
be as a shield to them in battle! added 
the boy. 

^ ^Protect us also!^^ said the little girl in 
conclusion. ^^And as we no longer have 
our mother, be thyself our mother and look 
on us as thy children! 

Thus prayed Mara and Marjub, and the 
Blessed Virgin, of whom they had only a 
vague and confused idea, graciously heard 
their simple prayers. 


II. 

In the Russian Camp. 

In the spring of 1860 the Russians armed 
themselves for the last decisive battle. 
Prince Barjatinski, at the head of 270,000 
men, had already reduced the eastern tribes 
of the Caucasus to subjection. In September 
1859 Sheik Shamyl, who for 30 years had 
defended his native place with a small troop 
of his faithful followers, was surrounded 
and taken prisoner on the summit of Mount 
Grhunib, and the Russians could now throw 
themselves with their overpowering numbers 
on the peoples of the western Caucasus. 
They held the mountain beleaguered like a 
fortress and drew reinforcements from all 
sides for this last assault. It is noteworthy 
that many Pohsh troops were constrained 
to shed their blood in this unjust and cruel 
war. 

The snow had hardly melted away when 
all the paths which lead into the mountain 
became alive with soldiers. In dark long- 
stretching winding lines the infantry as- 
( 20 ) 


21 


Children of Mary, 

cended to the green upper valleys, and 
swarmed over the heights of the first range 
of hills. Accompanying them came artillery 
wagons, ammunition and baggage. Cos- 
sacks from the Don with their long spears 
galloped up and down between the different 
columns. 

When twilight was coming on, after a 
hard day’s march, a young Russian officer 
with his soldiers encamped on the road from 
Tiffis to the Kasbec Pass. The troops were 
from Grrecian and a company of Polish exiles 
was also with them. The men had just hung 
their kettles on the poles and hghted the 
fires when a Donscher Cossack came gal- 
loping up and handed a note to the officer. 
The young man read it, and cast an anxious 
glance on the broad stream, swollen by the 
melted snow ; then on his right, and on the 
steep woody declivities which reached down 
nearly to the road on the left. Then he 
called a non-commissioned officer and said 
to the weather-beaten soldier, who stood 
before him and gave the mihtary salute : 

^^Iwan Iwanowitch, the colonel thinks 
there may be some Abkasians in front of 
us in the wood.” 


22 


Children of Mary. 

^^Very likely, your Honor/’ answered 
the old grey beard. ^ ^Perhaps also on our 
right and on our left, and in our rear. 
When we went up by the Terek river last 
year, we were caught by those devilish 
heathens in a hollow which was as much 
hke this one as two peas in a pod, and we 
were — ” 

^^Cut to pieces! I know all about that,” 
said the officer interrupting the garrulous 
old man. ^ ^ And that that may not happen 
a second time, we will post double sentries 
and secure a safe position for our night 
bivouac.” 

very good! But, excuse me, where 
shall we get a safe place in this mountain 
valley? And, as for double sentries,” the 
non-commissioned officer went on to say, 
‘^half of our troops are Poles, who are as 
ill-affected towards our gracious Czar — May 
God protect him from all his enemies ! — as 
these heathenish mountain devils them- 
selves.” 

The officer looked concerned, and, after 
a moment’s thought, said: ‘^You don’t 
think, they would desert their colors before 
the enemy do you?” 


23 


Children of Mary, 

saw them down at Kuban run over to 
the Abkasians in hundreds, and even now 
scores of them are fighting in the ranks of 
those mountain devils. — It is true there was 
no mention made of that at St. Petersburg; 
and, often as we had to run away, there 
was nothing but glorious victories to be 
read of in our papers.^’ 

^^And what is your opinion nowP^ 

^^In my opinion, we are lost, given up to 
the knife, and shall be cut to pieces, if only 
a couple of hundred Abkasians are hidden 
behind those trees. They will block up the 
narrow pass which we came through half an 
hour ago. Three miles further up our way 
lies between the stream and walls of rock. 
There they will stop us too. And so they 
have us in a trap, and can shoot us from 
behind the trees and rocks with as much 
safety to themselves, as we enjoy when we 
shoot at the target on Sunday afternoons. 
And they know how to use their muskets, as 
true as my name is Iwan Iwanowitch.^’ 

The officer turned rather pale; he had 
come fresh from the military academy and 
had never yet been in an engagement. The 
thought flashed through his mind how easily. 


24 


Children of Mary. 

instead of a soldier^ s long and glorious 
career, a ball from the enemy might put 
an end to his existence in this very first 
encounter. Then he said to old Iwan: 
^^What a foreboder of ill you are! What 
can be done to make your prophecies turn 
out falser^ 

^‘Gro back, your Honor, out of the trap, 
whilst there is time. There is a hill below 
the narrow defile which might afford us 
tolerably safe quarters for the night. — 

^^Are you mad, fellow!’^ said the officer 
interrupting the old soldier impatiently. 
^^Go back, before we have even seen the 
enemy and give up the narrow defile again 
which we so successfully passed through! — 
I would never dream of that ! Better to go 
on and get through the next pass before 
night closes in.’^ 

^^The sun is already set, your Honor, 
and we may be cut off from the troops 
behind us,’^ Iwan ventured to remonstrate. 

^^Our Don Cossacks must keep up the 
communications*, so, forward! Before night 
is far advanced we must have left the next 
narrow defile behind our backs. 


III. 


The Young Pole. 

Old Iwan Iwanowitch did not venture to 
make any further objections, and so the 
order to advance was given forthwith. The 
tired soldiers arose angrily from around the 
camp fires, and throwing away the water 
which was just beginning to warm, gathered 
their cooking utensils together and hastily 
fell into rank. The officer, who noticed the 
discontented looks of some of the men, and 
particularly of the Pohsh soldiers, ordered 
them to the front, and called out most inju- 
diciously: ^^What is the meaning of these 
sullen looks? You were sent here as a 
punishment for the treasonable intrigues 
with which your heads are filled. Do you 
want to go 300 miles further on, to Siberia, 
that Paradise of the Poles? Perecinski, why 
are you frowning so? You shall have five 
and twenty lashes with the knout meted out 
to you to-morrow at bugle call. Iwanowitch, 
don’t forget it. And now, forward! ” 

(25) 


26 Children of Mary, 

In close order and with rapid steps they 
marched on towards the ravine. Some 
Cossacks rode on in front to see whether 
the narrow pass was free. The sun had 
gone down, and in the narrow mountain 
valley, night was fast coming on. They 
were still a good distance from the upper 
defile, when it became quite dark. But all was 
quiet around; only the stream struggled 
with the boulders between which the snow- 
water rushed foaming on. A Cossack rode 
back and announced that the pass was 
unoccupied. thought so,’^ said the 

officer; ^fit was a false alarm. And he 
gave the order to halt. The soldiers lay 
down in the open, and fires were soon alight, 
and the red glare illumined the woods on 
the left, and the rugged wild rocks on the 
right. A strong guard of Poles and G-recians, 
under the command of old Iwanowitch, was 
posted to watch the pass. 

^ ^Keep good watch for me to-night, boys, ^ ^ 
said he to the Grecians. ^Gt is not very 
safe in these mountains ; and should any of 
those Poles turn traitor, thrust your bayonet 
through him!’^ 

^^All right, answered a stallwart Grecian. 


27 


Children of Mary, 

one of those Polish dogs, who worship 
the Pope instead of obeying our holy Czar, 
dare to raise so much as his little finger 
against us he shall die! 

The guard was stationed. The young 
Pole whom the officer had threatened with 
the knout, was posted close to the wood with 
one of his countrymen and a Grecian, who 
declared his determination to punish mth 
instant death any act of treason. Not a 
hundred paces further on, old Iwano witch 
lay down before a camp fire, resolved to 
keep the Poles, whom he could not trust, 
well in view. After an uneventful quarter of 
an hour, the Grecian sat down, and leaning 
his back against a tree, dozed off, and soon 
his loud snoring made known that he was 
fast asleep. 

A fine guard! whispered young Pere- 
cinski to his companion. ^^At all events I 
am glad he is asleep, for I have something 
to say to you.^’ 

^^Hush,^^ answered the other. ^^Are you 
quite sure that he is not pretending? And 
remember that old greybeard, Iwano witch, 
will not take his eyes off you.^^ 

^^Well, at all events, one does not under- 


28 


Children of Mary, 

stand Polish, and the other is far enough 
away. Besides, the noise of the stream will 
drown the sound of our whispering. — I teU 
you, I have no desire to wait for the strokes 
of the knout to-morrow, and I am deter- 
mined to go over to the Abkasians this 
very night! 

^^What! will you go over to the enemy 

^^Say rather to friends. What harm have 
these poor, brave mountaineers done to us 
that we should call them our enemies? I 
call those enemies, who would enslave them, 
as they long ago enslaved our poor country- 
men.’’ 

^^Do you want to go to the gallows, or to 
Siberia, with your imprudent talk? If you 
value your life, be silent!” answered his 
old friend softly. ^^You are standing now 
under the flag of the Czar — and you cannot 
swim against the stream.” 

^^But my conscience forbids me to fight 
for the Czar in an unjust war. — I will not 
take a single aim against the Abkasians, 
and I will seize the first opportunity to fight 
on their side.” 

^^Are you mad? Have you not heard that 
the Czar wants to reduce the Abkasians and 


29 


Children of Mary, 

the other Caucasian tribes to submission, 
and sell their children to the Turks for 
slaves, because they are heathens 

^Tf he had their conversion at heart, he 
would have sent out missionaries to them. 
But I saw in Tiflis the convent out of which 
General Gurko drove (by command of the 
Czar) the venerable Capuchin fathers, who 
wanted to preach the Lord Jesus to the 
people. And still more recently the Russians 
expelled the Jesuits who had worked for so 
many years for the conversion of this very 
tribe. And, as for slavery, I doubt whether 
the fate of the poor creatures can be as bad 
as that of our own countrymen in the mines 
of Siberia.’^ 

^ ^Unless you want to find yourself con- 
demned to those very mines within the next 
three months, be silent, I tell you again. 
And before you go over to the Abkasians, 
consider well that their ^s is a forlorn hope, 
and that you will be shot, or hung up to 
the nearest tree, if you fall into the hands 
of the Russians ahve. Then think of your 
poor old mother, who is counting the days, 
in her httle cottage on the Vistula, till your 


30 


Children of Mary, 

service is over, and she may hope to see you 
home again.’’ 

^^My dear mother!” answered the youth. 
^ ^Thanks, Ladislaus, for your well-meant 
reminder. And yet I dare not act against 
my conscience, come what may. May the 
Blessed Virgin protect me, and lead me back 
to be a comfort to my poor mother in her 
old age! And she will do so. Last year my 
mother went on a pilgrimage to Ezenstochan 
and every evening she prayed there before 
the picture of our Blessed Lady, for my 
welfare. And do you know what she 
dreamed the night before I had to go to 
Moscow? She dreamed she saw me in the 
midst of children in the flames of a burning 
house ; and it seemed as if no escape was 
possible. But neither the children nor I 
perceived the danger, and I was calmly 
teaching them to say the Ave Maria, when 
lo ! there appeared over the burning dwelhng 
the picture from Ezenstochan ; and a soft 
rain trickled down from it on to the Are. 
And just as the children were saying : ^In the 
the hour of our death. Amen.’ the flames were 
extinguished. My mother interpreted it as 
a proof that the Blessed Virgin would save 


Children of Mary, 31 

me, and the children who were with me, 
from danger of death. 

^^That was a wonderful dream/ ^ answered 
the old Pole. ^^May it portend good luck 
to you! But hark! What is that? — I thought 
I heard something in front of us in the 
wood, just now.^’ 

They both hstened for a moment holding 
their breath — and they distinctly heard a 
branch crackle under somebody^s foot. 
They seized their muskets, and the old Pole 
was just going to cry: ^^Who goes there? 
when a low voice out of the bushes imme- 
diately in front of them said in Polish: 

^ ^Fellow countrymen, I have overheard the 
whole of your conversation. Come with me 
quickly into the sheltering thicket, or you 
will be too late. Your troops are surrounded 
on every side.’’ 

^^Come on, comrade!” whispered Pere- 
cinski, this is the hand of Providence.” 
And he tried to draw his friend away with 
him. But he had scarcely taken the first 
step towards the wood, when there was a 
shot, and, with a cry of agony, the young 
Pole fell to the ground. His friend, passed 
whose head the ball had whizzed, looked 


32 Children of Mary, 

round, and saw in the moonlight old Iwano- 
witch with a still smoking rifle coming to- 
wards them from the encampment. G-nashing 
his teeth, he aimed at the Eussian who had 
struck his friend down. But as he was 
about to pull the trigger, he felt himself 
seized by strong arms from behind and 
firmly held by the Grecian, whom the report 
of the gun had awakened. A life and death 
struggle ensued. The old Eussian was about 
to make use of his sword, when a sharp 
report was heard, followed by a flash — and 
Iwanowitch fell to the ground. Then 
followed a blaze of musketry. From this 
side and from that, along the edge of the 
wood and from the rocks on the other side 
of the stream, above the din of battle, rose 
the wild war-cry of the Abkasians. For a 
moment the Eussian officer tried to rally 
his troops. But exposed in the open to the 
deadly aim of their foes, the soldiers could 
not stand against their murderous fire. 
And, deaf to the commands and entreaties 
of their officer, they sought safety in pre- 
cipitous flight. But finding all chance of 
retreat cut off, they threw down their arms 
and surrendered to the enemy. The Abka- 


33 


Children of Mary, 

sians burst forth from the shelter of the woods 
to seize their prisoners and to capture the rich 
booty of arms and ammunition. Then their 
leader held a review of his victorious troops. 

^^Has anyone belonging to our Juneh 
been wounded or fallen in the battled’ 
asked Usban-ok; for it was he who led the 
attack of the vanguard. 

^^Not one/’ was the answer. 

Thanks be to the Tha-Nan! (Mother of 
God) We will make her a rich thankoffering. 
Malek, convey the booty to the Juneh. 
Those of the prisoners who are willing to 
fight against the common enemy shall be 
treated as our own people ; those who will 
not do so, shall be escorted to the upper 
valleys and condemned to work.” 

^Wonder lies a young wounded Pole who 
was just coming over to us of his own 
accord, when a ball struck him,” said one 
of the warriors. 

^^Take him with you to the Juneh, if he 
can ride, and nurse him there as a brother, 
Malek. We must hasten to intercept the 
main body of the Eussian army, which the 
prince will meet at our narrow defile. Long 
live freedom ! Death to the Eussians ! ’ ’ 


IV. 

The Superstition of the Abkasians. 

Day after day, from the commanding 
height, Marjub and Mara had kept a patient 
look-out, watching for the victorious return 
of their father and brother. Suddenly in 
the distance they saw Malek at the head of 
a troop coming back to the valley. Joy- 
fully the children climbed down the rocks 
and hastened to meet their brother! 

Where is father?’^ cried Marjub. 

^^At the war; he is all right; and he 
sends his love to you. He is gone with the 
prince to oppose the Russian forces, having 
taken their vanguard by surprise.’’ 

^^And you have let father go alone to 
battle, and come back home? Marjub would 
not have done that!” said the younger 
brother reproachfully. 

Marjub would have done just the same, 
if his father had ordered him ; for he is an 
obedient child — ” answered Malek laughing. 
^^But I do not know whether father would 
have trusted him with the duty of bringing the 

( 34 ) 


35 


Children of Mary. 

rich booty home — several hundreds of rifles, 
swords, cartridge-boxes •, besides fifty barrels 
of powder and a hundred prisoners/^ 

^^Don^t be angry with each other at your 
first meeting, said little Mara. ^^But tell 
us if any one belonging to our Juneh has 
been killed or wounded by the wicked 
Russians.’^ 

^^No, darling, not one franklin nor one 
servant. The great Tha-Nan protected us. 
But there is a young Pole whom the enemy 
shot in the shoulder, just as he was coming 
over to us to join us in fighting against the 
Russians who enslaved his country also. 
You and old Fatmeh must nurse him well, 
so that he may soon be able to join us; for 
I have taken a great liking to him.^’ 

will gather some of the best herbs and 
put them on his wounds. Is that pale youth 
there on the white horse he? Come, Malek, 
let us help him out of the saddle, and take 
him to the Juneh. Or better still, Marjub, 
you help your brother, and I will run and 
get ready a comfortable bed for the poor 
man.’^ 

Perecinski was taken to one of the guest 
huts of the Juneh, and soon recovered from 


36 


Children of Mary, 

his wounds under the care of old Fatmeh. 
Marjub and Mara often sat by his bedside. 
Very soon the young Pole had learnt from 
the children sufficient of their language to 
be able to converse with them. One evening, 
when he was sitting with them outside the 
hut, looking at the setting sun, he asked 
them if they knew who made that beautiful 
light in the heavens, and the meadows, and 
the woods, and the mountains all round? 

^^Tha (Grod) made them,^^ said the chil- 
dren. ^^Yes, and I think, Tha-Nan (Grod^s 
mother) helped him do it,^^ added Marjub. 

^^No, children, the Mother of Grod did not 
exist when God created the world.’’ 

can’t beheve that,” said Mara, ^^for 
Tha-Nan is his mother.” 

^^She is the mother of the Son of God, 
but not of the Heavenly Father. Have you 
never heard of Jesus, whom the Mother of 
God gave birth to in a stable at Bethlehem, 
and laid in a manger?” 

^^We have heard of Jesus; he carried the 
holy cross which we adore. But nobody 
ever told us anything about the stable and 
the manger. And father says, it is not 
certain whether Mara — Tha-Nan, is the 


37 


Children of Mary. 

mother of Tharok (God^s son) or of Tha 
(God) himself. If you know, please, tell us.’^ 
The Pole was astounded at the ignorance 
of those good children. He thought of his 
mother^s dream, and resolved to instruct 
them in the faith. ^^Whom do you worship 
then, when you lift up your hands to Heaven, 
as I saw you doing yesterday up there on 
the top of the rock?’^ 

^^We were worshiping the Mother of God, 
who is also our mother,’^ answered Mara. 

^^But you must not worship the Mother 
of God. God alone must be worshiped. 
You may ask her to intercede with God for 
you; and you may love and honor her. 
Adoration is due only to the Father, and to 
the Son, and to the Holy Ghost — the Holy 
Trinity in whose name we are baptized. 
Have you been baptized?^’ 

The children looked with astonishment at 
the Pole and said: ^^We donT know what 
you mean. What is it to be baptized! ’’ 

^^So you are not even Christians? Have 
you no priests then?^^ 

^ ^No, we are not Christians. The Russians 
are Christians,’^ cried Marjub. ^^We are 
children of the great Tha, and of the great 


38 Children of Mary, 

Mother of Grod. But we have priests: old 
Marjom in the oak valley is the priest of 
the Juneh. You will see him next month 
when he offers sacrifice at the feast of the 
great Tha-Nan.’’ 

^^That is the Mother of Grod’s greatest 
feast, said Mara, clapping her hands for 
joy. ^^She comes down from heaven to 
earth and visits her children, and takes part 
in the feast, and blesses all the good people. 
But nobody sees her.^’ 

Perecinski wondered very much at the 
children's words. He thought to himself, 
the Abkasians must evidently have been 
Christians at one time, and, in the course 
of ages, have distorted and almost lost the 
faith, being surrounded by Mahometans, 
and cut off for hundreds of years, from all 
intercourse with the Christians of the west. 

And it was so. On the southern slopes 
of the Caucasus, in Greorgia, sprang up soon 
after the apostolic times several Christian 
communities. To the tribes of the north 
and west, and of the inner valleys, the faith 
only penetrated later; and it had not yet 
taken firm root, when the Turks over-ran 
Greorgia and prevented its growth. The 


39 


Children of Mary, 

Abkasians appear to have had the faith 
preached to them by Italian missionaries. 
Merchants from Genoa certainly traded with 
the Crimea, and came in contact with the 
tribes on the river Kuban, and even up to 
the Caspian Sea. So it came to pass that 
amongst the Abkasians the Latin cross, 
with the perpendicular beam (•f ) was in use, 
and not the Greek equal-armed (d"). When 
the Turks captured Constantinople the 
western lands were cut off from the Caucasus ; 
and as no missionaries could confirm the 
newly-converted people in their faith, the 
old superstitions sprang up again, and grad- 
ually chocked the good seed sown by the 
Christians. Distorted remnants of the an- 
cient rites and ceremonies were kept up. 
The veneration of the cross and of the 
Blessed Virgin was changed into an idola- 
trous practice ; and, instead of the one God, 
some tribes even adored the old heathen 
deities of the forests, mountains and rivers. 

The young Pole, soon after the conversa- 
tion with Marjub and Mara, gained from 
witnessing the sacrificial feast, a still deeper 
conviction of the intermingling of Christian 
and heathenish customs, as observed by 


40 Children of Mary. 

the Abkasians. In the beginning of July 
Usban-ok, with Malek and the other warriors 
of the Juneh, returned victojious from the 
expedition against the Eussians. He had 
succeeded in several skirmishes, and well- 
planned surprises, in causing considerable 
damage to the Eussian forces, and had cap- 
tured rich booty in arms and ammunition. 
It is true these results did not hinder the 
persistent advances of the enemy. From 
the north, from the river Kuban, they were 
continually strengthening their power, and 
tightening their hold on the mountaineers. 
IJsban-ok and his followers were ordered 
thither. But he longed to visit his Juneh 
once more, and, with all the members of 
his tribe, solemnly keep the great feast of 
the Tha-Nan. 


V. 

The Sacrificial Feast. 

The day of the feast arrived. Usban-ok 
went with nearly all the people of his Juneh 
over the nearest mountain range to old 
Marjom^s Juneh, where all the members of 
the Juneh-is, that is, ^a hundred farmsteads,’ 
had assembled together. A broad meadow, 
shut in by dark oak trees which had with- 
stood the storms of a hundred years, was 
the place where the sacrifice was to be 
offered. Under the shade of a gigantic 
tree, in front of a large, ancient, roughly- 
carved cross, was erected, without cement, 
an altar of red stone. 

When the young Pole arrived on the spot, 
he found the meadow filled with a dense 
multitude of men, women and children. 
And he had some trouble to find a place 
from whence he could witness the sacrifice 
without, however, taking any part in it. 
Around the altar, he saw four young bulls, 
eight sheep, and as many he-goats standing 
securely fastened by the horns. The stone- 

( 41 ) 


42 Children of Mary, 

table of the altar was covered with dishes 
containing bread, wheat and maize-cakes, 
honey and butter, milk and schwett, Schwett 
is a drink made from millet and honey. It 
has a most disagreeable taste, and is very 
intoxicating. Old Marjom approached the 
altar clad in white, woolen festal-garments. 
He was a fine, well-built old man with a 
long silver-beard. He uncovered his head. 
A profound silence reigned in the circle of 
the men and amongst the groups of women, 
,so that one could hear the crackhng of the 
fir branches in the 30 fires arranged in a 
semi-circle which burnt round the altar. 

The old man, his eyes fixed on the cross, 
the rich graces of which however he did not 
understand, began to recite in a loud voice 
a prayer which the crowd half-muttering, 
half-singing repeated. Perecinski could only 
understand the words : ^ ^Grlorious Grod (Tha 
dake) ! G-reat God (Tha schuha) ! We poor 
sinners pray to thee (Tamitschki) ! Jesus, 
Son of God ( Jesha, tha-ok) ! Mary, Mother 
of God (Mar athanan) ! God! God! (Tha, 
Tha!)’^ The Pole did not hear any other 
prayer. Pilled with compassion, he prayed 
that the most merciful God and the ever- 


43 


Children of Mary, 

blessed Virgin would enlighten these poor 
bhnd people, and lead them to His grace 
and truth. 

The prayers which lasted about a quarter 
of an hour formed the introduction to the 
sacrifice. Then the old man covered his 
head with the fur cap of the Abkasians, 
and all the men followed his example. Two 
boys stood by him, one at each side. The 
one on his right held three knives of different 
sizes on a round wooden plate ; the one on 
his left held three wooden bowls placed 
one in the other. Perecinski recognized in 
the boy who handed the knives to the old 
man, his young friend Marjub. A doubt 
arose in his mind, as to whether he would 
not have done better, had he explained to 
the boy that he ought not to take part in 
the superstitious ceremony. But he thought 
again: could not have instructed Marjub 

in so short a time, and so it was better for 
me to tell him to do what he looks upon as 
well-pleasing to Grod.’^ 

The old priest now took the largest of the 
three knives which Marjub held to him, and 
made a sign to Usban-ok, as the chief of 
the most important Juneh, to come forward. 


44 


Children of Mary, 

and re-handed the knife to him. Ushan-ok 
took it and passed it on to the chief next in 
rank to himself. The knife of sacrifice was 
quickly passed from hand to hand through 
the whole assembly till it got back to the 
priest again. 

Young Malek was one of the last in the 
ranks of the men. When he took hold of the 
knife he called out to the Pole to come and 
touch the implement of sacrifice as well as 
the others. ^Tt will bring you a blessing 
and good luck/^ said he. Perecinski would 
not and durst not do that ; because taking 
hold of the sacrificial knife meant partici- 
pating in the sacrifice, for it was to show 
that the priest offered the sacrifice in the 
name of all those who touched the knife. 
He dechned therefore. But his doing so 
enraged the young Abkasian: ^^Dog of a 
Christian,’^ he cried, ^^what! you will not 
hold any sacrificial intercourse with us? Up 
to the present I have looked upon you as 
my friend, and I thought we should fight 
shoulder to shoulder against our common 
enemy in the next engagement. But he 
who refuses to join with me in prayer, can 
never be my brother-in-arms. — 


45 


Children of Mary. 

The Pole persisted in his refusal and 
would not touch the knife, that he might 
not render himself guilty of taking part in 
a heathen sacrifice. In vain Malek reiter- 
ated his reproach, his eyes flashing with 
indignation the while. ^Tf you do not offer 
sacrifice with us,^^ said he, shall look 
upon you as a traitor, and will bid my father 
treat you as a slave in future.^’ 

^^Even if you were to threaten me with 
death, I would not take any part in your 
sacrifice, replied the Pole firmly. 

The interruption which this short con- 
versation had occasioned, drew the attention 
of the whole assembly upon the two young 
men. ^^What is the matter, MalekT^ cried 
Usban-ok, ^^Pass the knife on!^^ 

^^The Christian from our Juneh will not 
touch it,’^ answered the youth. A storm 
of indignation broke out amongst the Ab- 
kasians, and loud cries were heard demanding 
that the knife should be thrust through the 
heart of the Christian. 

Marjom commanded silence: ^^What! 
will you interrupt the sacrifice with savage 
criesT^ said he. fear the great God will 
not look upon it with pleasure. And you. 


46 Children of Mary, 

Malek, why do you invite a Christian to 
take part in our sacrifice? Let not such a 
one, on any account, touch the sacred knife, 
or the sacrifice will not be clean in the sight 
of the great Tha-Nan. Bind the man fast 
to the great oak tree there, that he may not 
disturb us again. When the sacrifice is 
ended we will consider what shall be done 
with him.’^ 

The order was instantly obeyed. Pere- 
cinski was seized and bound with cords to 
the trunk of the tree. The sacrifice then 
continued. When the knife came round to 
the priest again, he made a sign for the 
first sacrificial bull to be brought to him. 
Six strong fellows threw the animal on the 
ground before the altar and held it fast, whilst 
the old priest repeating: ^^Tha, Tha-Jesha, 
Tha-Nan,’^ cut its throat, and filled one of 
the wooden bowls with its blood. 

The three other bulls were slaughtered in 
the same manner. And when the blood had 
ceased to flow, the carcasses were dragged 
to the fire and cut up for the feast. Then 
all the people repeated and sang the above 
quoted formula of prayer, whilst the priest 
raised the blood-stained knife to the cross. 


47 


Children of Mary. 

The second knife went round. The sheep 
were slaughtered. Another wooden bowl 
was filled with blood, and the victims were 
drawn to the caldrons and cut up. This 
knife also was held up towards the cross, 
whilst prayers were said. Lastly, the third 
knife was passed from hand to hand. And 
when the he-goats had been slaughtered 
with similar rites, the three wooden bowls 
were placed on the right side of the altar, 
and every one pressed forward to steep a 
cloth, or dip a finger in the blood to which 
the Abkasians ascribe a superstitious virtue. 
The men sprinkled their weapons with the 
blood, thinking thus to consecrate them, 
and to make them deadly against the enemy. 

The second part of the feast began. Whilst 
the young people were busy attending to the 
fire and the caldrons, preparing the festal 
banquet, the newly-married couples drew 
near, in regular order, to old Marjom to lay 
their petitions before him. The priest 
listened to them, and taking off his fur 
headgear, put it under his arm and carried 
their petitions before the cross, breathing 
low- whispered prayers as he did so. The 
great Tha and his mother were besieged 


48 


Children of Mary. 

with requests for health and happiness ; for 
blessings on hearth and home ; for victory 
and booty, and for vengeance on the Eus- 
sians. When all the petitions had been 
presented, that portion of the sacrificial 
feast followed, which kept closest to the old 
Christian traditions. The old man went up 
to the altar again •, took a large, fiat cake in 
his hands, and turning towards the assem- 
bly, said solemnly: 

^ ^ The bread which you brought to be offered 
to the great Tha, has lain on this dish, and 
is made holy ; eat of this bread, and it will 
bring you prosperity.^’ He then broke the 
cake into small pieces, and distributed them 
amongst the married people. Then he took 
a wooden vessel filled with schwetty and let 
the people drink out of it in turns. 

Perecinski, who had watched the whole 
proceeding from his tree, was vividly re- 
minded of the Last Supper. He felt deeply 
grieved that this most holy mystery of Divine 
love should, through the ignorance of these 
poor people, be degraded to a meaningless 
and superstitious ceremony. 

Loud cries of joy however soon awoke 
him out of his reverie. The festal banquet 


49 


Children of Mary, 

had begun. The famihes were seated in 
groups under the trees ; the elderly people 
were served first by the boys and girls who 
handed round the flesh of the victims cooked 
in millet seed. The drink of the multitude 
was the intoxicating schwett, handed round 
in great jugs. In the meantime the long 
summer day had dechned ; the shadows were 
lengthening over the meadows, and the 
twihght was seen creeping over the valleys. 
But the feast was not nearly over. Louder 
and wilder became the shouts, and more 
hoarse the singing of the drunken Abka- 
sians. The schwett was beginning to take 
effect. 

Perecinski observed the men, with inflamed 
features and bloodshot eyes, dancing round 
the blazing fires and brandishing their 
flashing scimitars. He was terrified at the 
sight. Of what were not these half-savage 
men capable in a state of intoxication? One 
group in particular appeared already to be 
plotting the murder of the Christian, who 
had caused a disturbance at the time of the 
sacrifice. They pointed towards him with 
their fingers and swords, and, as far as he 
could understand their words, at the distance 


50 


Children of Mary. 

and amid the shouting, several were actually 
clamoring for his blood in atonement for 
the interruption of their sacrifice. He be- 
lieved his last hour had come, and prepared 
himself to die. He made an act of sorrow 
and contrition from the bottom of his heart, 
and besought Grod to accept his blood in 
lieu of the sacrament of penance. Then he 
remembered his poor old mother, far away 
in her httle cabin by the Vistula, anxiously 
awaiting his return, or, perhaps, even then 
praying to the Blessed Virgin for him at 
Ezenstochan ; and he implored the Mother 
of mercy to help him in his dire necessity, 
and lead him safely home. 

As he prayed thus in his agony, suddenly 
a thought came to his mind: ^ ^Promise the 
Blessed Virgin that you will, with Grod^s 
grace, lead the two children, who are pining 
here in heathenism, and yet, in their way 
so devoutly honor her, to the knowledge of 
the truth. It came to his mind, like an 
inspiration from above, and he vowed, if it 
were in his power, to instruct the children 
in the faith, and prepare them for holy 
Baptism. 

Meanwhile the Abkasians around the fires 


51 


Children of Mary, 

appeared to occupy themselves more and 
more about the fate of the Pole ; and more 
and more general became the cry: Death 
to the Christian! Usban-ok and Marjom, 
the old priest, it is true, pleaded for the 
stranger, though not very zealously; but 
the fury of the drunken horde knew no 
bounds. Brak-ok, Usban-ok^s son-in-law, 
who had drunk a great deal of the intoxi- 
cating schwett, was particularly urgent in 
his demand for the blood of the stranger, 
his eyes flashing with hatred all the time. 
Perecinski closed his eyes so as to pray 
more calmly, for he expected every moment 
that the madmen would fall upon him and 
cut him to pieces. 

Suddenly he heard the voice of Mara 
close beside him. Stranger,^’ whispered 
the httle girl, ^^the men are going to kill 
you, flee! 

^^How can I, httle Mara? am bound 
fast to the tree.^’ 

^^Oh, I have a knife, and the great 
Tha-Nan will help me to cut through the 
thick cord. There — There! Slip behind 
the tree, and creep softly along under the 
shadow to the rocks by the stream. My 


52 


Children of Mary, 

brother Marjub is waiting for you there, 
and he will help you. He told me what I 
was to do, so as to lead the men astray. 
Quick, why do you linger?’^ 

^^Grood little Mara, the Blessed Virgin 
grant that I may one day reward your own 
and your brother's love! 

^^This very night she comes down from 
Heaven to bless all good people. I think 
she will bless you too, although you would 
not touch the knife to-day. But make haste 
and flee!’^ 


VI. 


A Conversation in the Ruins of 
Drandi. 

On the south-western slope of the Caucasus 
many ancient churches of the Abkasians are 
stiU standing. They date from the days 
when the small tract of land between sea 
and mountain was still Christian. When 
later on the Turks took possession of the 
land, the Abkasians withdrew to their im- 
penetrable ravines and to the upper valleys 
of the Caucasus, where they indeed main- 
tained their independence, but sank back 
again little by little into that heathenism of 
which we have been speaking. Of the 
venerable sanctuaries on the sea shore, some 
had been converted into Turkish mosques, 
and later on, into Russian churches, others 
had fallen into ruins and the old crumbhng 
walls were overgrown with vegetation. By 
far the most beautiful and most important 
of these ruins is that of the church of Drandi, 
which, judging from its architecture, appears 

(53) 


54 


Children of Mary. 

to date from the time of the Crusades. A 
few huts are standing against the old walls, 
by whose high-towering gables they are 
more threatened than protected. 

In one of the huts dwelt a certain Hadschi 
Keranduk, a crafty, treacherous fellow, who, 
at one time in the pay of the Eussians, at 
another acting as a spy to the Turks, was 
capable of any villany, if it brought him any 
gain. He had once sent the head of a Polish 
officer, who wanted to join the Abkasians 
as a volunteer, to the Eussian commander, 
and received 400 roubles in return for it. 
Soon after the sacrificial feast, which turned 
out so disastrously for Perecinski, Hadschi 
Keranduk was sitting one afternoon by his 
garden fence smoking his pipe, when an 
Abkasian came up, and, leaning on the fence, 
spoke thus to the notorious rascal : 

^^Grood afternoon, brother Hadschi Ker- 
anduk. 

^Ts that you, Brak-okf said the man 
suddenly starting fromEis reverie. ^^How 
is your father-in-law, Usban-ok, and the 
rest of the brave fellows at your Juneh? Do 
you want any powder and shot! or have 
you made peace with the Eussians before 


Children of Mary, 55 

they come and burn your houses over your 
heads?’’ 

^^Usban-ok took more powder and shot 
from the Russians in the Kasbec pass than 
you have in your vaults under the old church. 
He did not send me here for that, but to 
enquire whether the troops are coming 
which the Turks promised to send?” 

‘^They will come, Brak-ok, together with 
a division of Poles to whom the Sultan has 
lent some cannon.” 

^Toles! — they say, you sold some Poles’ 
heads to the Russians lately. I very nearly 
brought one here with me.” 

^^Do they really say that?” said Hadschi, 
distorting his features by a hideous grin. 
^^But you appear to have some other little 
business in your mind. Come over to the 
old ruin with me. We shall be able to speak 
there without fear of interruption.” 

The old man got up and walked before 
the Abkasian, through grass and brushwood, 
to a lonely spot in the ruins. He sat down 
under the shadow of the crumbling wall, and 
signaled to Brak-ok to sit down hkewise. 

^ ^What’s this about Poles’ heads?” said 
the old man softly. ^^Speak without fear.” 


56 


Children of Mary, 

Brak-ok related the events of the last 
feast, and the wonderful escape of the young 
Pole by the intervention of Tha-Nan. 

You see, Hadschi,’^ saidhe,in conclusion, 

was standing so, in front of the stranger 
who was fast bound to a tree ; and I swung 
my scimitar, so, — and when its blade nearly 
touched the Pole’s neck — Puff, he was 
gone!” 

^^What? the scimitar?” 
the Pole!” 

^^What! disappeared before your very 
eyes! ” said the old man laughing. 

^^He vanished in the air, as true, as I, 
Brak-ok, am Usban-ok’s son-in-law.” 

^^And did the Tha-Nan do that for a man 
who would not even touch the knife of 
sacrifice in her honor?” 

^^Who else could have done it?” asked 
the Abkasian. Old Hadschi thoughtfully 
puffed the smoke out of his pipe and said : 

^^You could not have fastened him tightly 
to the tree.” 

tell you he was bound so fast that the 
strength of a bullock could not have broken 
the bonds. I fastened the cord and knotted 
it round the tree myself.” 


57 


Children of Mary, 

^^But you must have been drinking a 
great deal of schwett before he disappeared 
from your sight. 

^^That^s true, but even the schwett which 
we had drunk could not have loosened the 
knots which I tied.’^ 

^^Well, I would rather Tha-Nan should 
have dragged him away over the tops of the 
trees, as old Marjom affirms, than that you 
should have cut him in pieces with your 
scimitar. I think she will not have carried 
him far oK, But, I say, Brak-ok, has the 
Pole any particular friend in your JunehP^ 

^^Not that I know of. Malek liked him 
very well at first, but at the feast he turned 
against him because he would not join in 
the sacrifice. There are the two children, 
it is true — Marjub and Mara — whom he 
was always with in the Juneh; and they 
were also at the feast. — ’’ 

^^That^s enough,^’ said old Hadschi, 
stroking his grey bristly beard. ^^Now, 
brave Brak-ok, keep a sharp eye on the 
two children ; you will soon find out where 
Tha-Nan has carried the Pole to.’’ 

^^What does it matter to me?” answered 
Brak-ok, ^^That night I would have cut 


58 


Children of Mary, 

Mm to pieces, for the schwett always makes 
me quarrelsome; but now I shall let him 
alone. DidMt he come over to us, to fight 
with us against the EussiansT’ 

^^You may cut him to pieces or not, as 
you like, said Hadschi raising his eyebrows. 
^^But, if you should kill him, don^t forget to 
bring me his head ; I will give you a hundred 
silver roubles down for it.^’ 

hundred roubles!’’ exclaimed the 
Abkasian, opening his eyes very wide. 
^^Then it is quite true what people are saying 
that you sell the heads of Polish deserters 
to the commander of the nearest Eussian 
outpost?” 

^^One must try to get some of the Eussian 
money, ’ ’ said Hadschi laughing. ‘ ^ Are they 
not our enemies? And is not a sackful of 
roubles, with which arms and powder can 
be bought, worth more than a dead man’s 
head, which is of no use at all?” 

^^A hundred roubles!” repeated Brak-ok. 
^^But it is against the rights of hospitality. 
My father-in-law, Usban-ok, would never 
do it.” 

^^Is the Pole still in your Juneh? No, he 
is not, He left it, and so has renounced all 


59 


Children of Mary. 

claim to hospitality. Besides you need not 
tell your father-in-law anything about it. 
It is enough for him to know that the Tha- 
Nan has carried off the Pole. Then if you 
should perchance slay him, no one will care, 
or enquire anything about him. I don^t 
say ^do it^ ! I only say: ^If you do it,^ — don^t 
forget to bring me the head, and you shall 
get the hundred roubles.’’ 

^Tt is a good sum, as true as I am an 
honest Abkasian! And he really deserves 
to die for refusing to touch the knife of 
sacrifice. Don’t you think so, Hadschi! ’ ’ 

^^At all events you thought so when you 
had drunk the holy schwett.^^ 

We did; but old Marjom judged other- 
wise. And now that I am sober, I must 
say the Pole never did me any harm. But 
the hundred roubles! — ” 

Drink schwett! when you’ve got schwett 
in your head again, you’ll think the same 
as before. But at any rate, remember ; if 
yon don’t earn the hundred roubles, some- 
body else will!” 

^^Stop, brother! if it must be, and you 
win have his head in any case — then I don’t 
see why another should get the money in- 


60 


Children of Mary, 

stead of me. So it^s a bargain between us, 
old Hadschi Keranduk. But, I say, brother, 
could ^nt you give me half down now as a 
sort of security 

^^Not a penny before I see the head! 

^^You think I should pocket the money 
and not bring the head? But if you won’t 
trust me, why should I trust you? Mark 
well, Hadschi Keranduk, if you keep so 
much as one of the hundred roubles, my 
sword shall spht your skull. Do you under- 
stand me?” 

^ ^My faith ! you are a hot-headed, danger- 
ous fellow, brave Brak-ok!” said the old 
traitor with a forced smile. ^^In a bargain 
like ours, mutual interest must create con- 
fidence. As far as regards the landing of 
Turkish re-inf orcements, you can inform 
Usban-ok that Sefer-Pasha, who is in the 
neighborhood, is daily expecting them. I 
will send my boy to the Juneh, when it is 
time to march on the Kuban ; for the attack 
from both sides must be simultaneous if it 
is to succeed at all. Only, don’t forget to 
come for the hundred roubles first. And 
now, farewell, brave and prudent Brak-ok ! 
Don’t forget to keep an eye on the children ; 


61 


Children of Mary. 

they will lead you on the right track before 
the sun has sunk three times into the sea.^^ 
The two men, after bargaining about the 
life of Perecinski, rose up and separated. 
Brak-ok went towards the mountain. Old 
Hadschi looked sullenly after him. ^^He 
will bring me the head,^’ said he. ^^And I 
will take care he does not split mine.^^ 
Thereupon he put his hand to his head 
involuntarily and muttered: These rough 
fellows from the mountains! One must be 
on one^s guard against them!^^ 


VII. 

The First Instruction. 

To return to our young friend Perecinski, 
we will go back in our story to the morning 
which followed the eventful feast. 

The young Pole, and his little rescuer 
Marjub, were in a hut about a mile and a 
half from Usban-ok’s Juneh. The place 
served as a shelter for the goatherds *, but it 
was empty now, and Marjub had brought 
the fugitive by the hght of the moon, along 
by the stream, to this place of refuge. 

It was near daybreak when they reached 
the hiding-place. ^^You can hide yourself 
here,^^ said the boy. There is a cavern in 
the rock which can be reached from the back 
of the hut. My brother will not find you 
here, nor the other men who want to sacrifice 
you to the Tha-Nan. Mara and I will bring 
you some bread and cheese and eggs, until 
the war is over, and you are free to go back 
to your home, and to your mother whom 
you told us about a little while ago.’’ 

( 62 ) 


63 


Children of Mary. 

^^Dear Marjub/^ said the Pole, ^^you and 
your little sister have saved my life. With 
Grod^s grace I will in return, help you to 
obtain a better life. Leave me now, and 
hasten back to your Juneh that your father 
may not miss you.’’ 

^^He won’t miss me,” said Marjub. ^^The 
day after the feast of sacrifice, all grown-up 
Abkasians, from the quantity of holy schwett 
which they drink, are heavy-headed and 
sleep in their huts. I shall stop with you 
till Mara comes and brings us news, whether 
they have determined to pursue and search 
for you. Gro into the cave now, and lie 
down to rest.” 

Perecinski followed Marjub ’ s instructions . 
He felt his way cautiously into the cavern, 
and found a bed of dried ferns. No sooner 
had he stretched himself upon the ground, 
after a short prayer, than, in consequence 
of his great fatigue, and of the excitement 
he had undergone, he fell into a deep sleep. 

Marjub also lay down ; but sleep did not 
come to him so quickly, for he was pondering 
over that better hfe which the Pole had 
promised to him and Mara. ^^Will he make 
me a prince and give me beautiful weapons, 


64 


Children of Mary, 

such as the prince had who came to our 
Juneh in the spring? And will he give 
Mara golden ornaments, such as the king’s 
daughters wore whom old Nana told us 
about?” Thus thinking he fell asleep, and 
there mingled with his dreams these pictures 
of the better life. 

It appeared to him as though he were 
sitting on a richly-caparisoned steed, and 
the sun shone on the precious stones which 
ornamented the golden handle of his sword. 
^^Look,” said he to Mara, who, dressed in 
costly silken garments, sat by him on a white 
palfry, ^dook at these glorious weapons 
which the Pole has given me!” And Mara 
answered : ^ ^ The golden circlet which fastens 
my veil is still more beautiful.” Then the 
dream changed, and it seemed to him they 
were being pursued by enemies, and they 
rode faster and faster so as to outstrip their 
followers. But although they urged on their 
horses to the utmost, they seemed not to 
move from the spot ; and soon they heard 
the horses’ hoofs behind them, and felt the 
hot breath of the animals on their necks. 
Marjub drew the beautiful sword and looked 
round, but benumbed with horror, his arm 


65 


Children of Mary, 

fell to his side. It was his brother-in-law 
Brak-ok, who stole his beautiful weapon 
from him with the words : ^^You shall not 
have any better life than our father and 
we. — 

Then Marjnb awoke with a scream. It was 
late in the afternoon. Mara was standing 
before him, and said: ^^What dreadful 
dreams yon have had ! I should soon have 
aroused you from sleep, for you were 
groaning terribly. 

^Ts that you, Mara!^’ asked the boy, as 
yet only half-awake. ^^Ah, they have taken 
all those beautiful things away from us, 
from me — the beautiful sword with the 
golden handle and the glittering jewels, 
and from you, that lovely coronet!’^ Then 
he told his sister his dream, and what the 
Pole had said about a better life. The 
children’s voices awoke the sleeper in the 
cave, and he soon came out to them. They 
sat down together in front of the hut, under 
the shade of an old fir tree, which with its 
dark branches reaching almost to the ground 
quite covered the miserable little thatched 
roof. Before them the mountain stream 
rushed over boulders overgrown with moss. 


66 Children of Mary, 

and on the opposite bank, and behind the 
hut, rose up perpendicularly the grey rocks, 
dotted here and there Yfith traces of the 
scantiest vegetation. The sun had already 
sunk over the little valley, and its red rays 
now slightly tinged the upper seam of the 
rocky wall opposite and the fir trees which 
grew upon it. 

The Pole thought he had never in his life 
seen such an awfully desolate spot ; but the 
children who were used to this mountainous 
scenery felt quite at home in the ravine. 

^^You are safe here,’’ said Marjub, who 
had observed the impression which the 
gloomy surroundings had made on the 
stranger. ^^No Abkasians will look for you 
here. And now, Mara, tell us what went 
on at the end of the feast yesterday, and 
what they are doing in the Juneh to-day.” 

^^The great Tha-Nan visibly protected 
you, stranger” said the little girl; ^Tor 
scarcely had I cut through the cords and 
let you escape into the bushes, when the 
men rushed up with drawn swords to kill 
you. They would most certainly have cut 
you to pieces, if you had been still fastened 
to the tree. I had barely time to hide 


67 


Children of Mary, 

myself and the cord behind the trees. When 
they reached the spot and did not find you, 
they broke out into loud yells ; ^ Where is 
he gone!^ they cried. ^Just now he was 
standing here firmly bound, and now both 
he and the ropes are gone ! — ’ ^He must 
have melted away in the air! — I saw him a 
moment ago with my own eyes!^ said one. 
And they gazed at each other in amazement. 
^This has not happened by fair means!’ 
cried old Murkos; ‘the devil has carried 
him ofi. — ’ ‘Or perhaps the great Tha-Nan 
has snatched him out of our hands ! ’ said 
Marjom, who offered up the sacrifice. — And 
I think he spoke the truth, and that the 
Mother of Grod did save your life by our 
hands. It was because you told us such 
beautiful things about her a little while ago 
that Marjub and I thought of the plan to 
set you free.” 

Mara related how after Marjom’s words, 
no one thought of pursuing the fugitive, 
and she then produced a basket from which 
she took a bowl of thick millet porridge — 
which is called Schwa-Pasta by the Abka- 
sians, and forms their ordinary food — and 
placed it before the Pole, with cheese and 


68 Children of Mary. 

bread-cakes in addition. Then she filled a 
shell with water from the brook and said : 
^^Now eat and drink. I asked Nana to give 
me this food for a poor man — so donT 
think I stole it or told a story about it. 
Whilst you are eating you can tell us about 
that better life which you spoke of to 
Marjub.’’ 

^ Thank you, good Mara, and you also, 
dear Marjub, for saving my life yesterday 
and for bringing me food to-day. You are 
my ravens now, hke those who carried bread 
to Elias ; or rather, you are like the good 
angel who fed Daniel in the lion’s den. Do 
you know those stories?” The children had 
never heard about them. So he told them 
about the prophet Elias, and about Habakuk 
whom the angel carried by his hair to 
Babylon. ^^0 how that must have hurt 
him,” said Mara, putting her hand to her 
head, would sooner go over to the Juneh 
on foot.” Marjub laughed and said the 
angel had delicate fingers, and did not tear 
the hair out like old Nana when she was 
angry. 

The Pole said a httle prayer, and then sat 
down to eat. He wanted to give the children 


69 


Children of Mary. 

their share also. Marjub took his; but 
Mara was not to be persuaded ; for, amongst 
the Abkasians custom forbids women and 
girls to eat in the presence of men. When 
they had partaken of their refreshment, 
Perecinski began his instruction on the 
better life. He told the children how God 
created men and made them his children ; 
and how they were permitted to live in a 
beautiful garden with Him as long as they 
were good. And the garden was full of 
lovely flowers and fruits, which were very 
sweet and delicious to the taste. And all 
the animals in the beautiful garden were 
tame, and obeyed men at a word or a sign. 
The young hares came and played with 
them; the timid deer did not run away, 
even the savage bear and the ferocious wolf 
did not hurt them. And the birds of the 
air rested on their hands and sang them 
lovely songs. And there were never any 
wars, nor even any quarrels amongst men, 
so long as they remained children of God, 
but pure love reigned everywhere. The 
most beautiful of all, however, was that 
God Himself dwelt with them like a good 
father with his children, and talked with 


70 


Children of Mary. 

them full of goodness and fatherly kindness. 
Death had no power over men, so that they 
could go to Grod in Heaven without dying. 
Must not that have been a beautiful hfe, a 
better life than we have now? 

^^0 how happy men were then!^’ said 
Mara. ^‘But you are only telling us a fairy 
tale like old Nana does when she talks to us 
about the pigmies who live in the middle of 
the mountains in golden chambers! 

^Ht is no fairytale, but the very truth. 
That, and even much more happiness which 
I could tell you of, they enjoyed as long as 
they remained in innocence.’’ 

Why did they not always remain children 
of God?” asked Marjub. 

^ ^Because they became wicked and dis- 
obedient to God, their Father, Who hates 
sin. He expelled them from this beautiful 
garden, and gave them up to misery and 
death.” 

^^And you say you can give us this 
glorious life in God’s beautiful home again? 
If you possess this life and can go into the 
lovely garden, why do you stay here? Why 
don’t you make haste and go there and 
take us with you?” inquired Marjub. 


71 


Children of Mary, 

hope I shall have this life; for I hope 
I am a child of Giod. Every child of God 
has the key to the eternal Paradise of his 
Father who is in Heaven. Yet I dare not 
go before He sends a messenger to call me. 
Then if I have not lost the key, I shall be 
allowed to enter into the garden of eternal 
pleasure. 

^^Show us the key,^’ said Mara. 

^^The key rests in my heart. I can only 
make use of it when I die.’’ 

^^Can you give us keys like to it?” asked 
Marjub. 

^^Yes, for I can make you also children 
of God.” 

^^0 make us children of God!” pleaded 
both Marjub and Mara. ^^We are already 
children of the Blessed Mother of God.” 

^^That is the best way of becoming chil- 
dren of God. But I must teach you a great 
deal more before I can make you children 
of God. For to-day, it is high time you 
went back to the Juneh. But come again 
to-morrow if you can, and I will, by God’s 
grace, in return for my temporal life which 
you saved, obtain for you eternal life in 
God’s beautiful garden. Pray meanwhile 


72 Children of Mary. 

to the Mother of God, and place yourselves 
under her protection. See, the last rays of 
the sun are gilding the tops of the pines 
above the precipice. 


yiii. 


The Old Man on the Elbruz. 

Brak-ok was back again at the Juneh. 
He was sitting on the evenii^g of his return 
with a group of other men before the door 
of the great house, which his father-in-law, 
Usban-ok, as head of the homestead, occu- 
pied. It was not like a palace, you must 
understand. It was a simple, wooden house 
divided into rooms by rough beams and 
planks. But it looked beautiful in the eyes 
of the poor inhabitants of the Caucasus. 
The rest of the people belonging to the 
Juneh lived in miserable cabins, the walls 
of which were made of wattle-work be- 
smeared with clay. Brak-ok was telling 
them about his expedition. Naturally, 
enough, he did not say one word about the 
crime which he and oldHadschi had planned. 
But he talked about Sefer-Pasha and the 
Turkish soldiers j and how every day fresh 
ships were expected from Constantinople 
bringing with them a regiment of Poles 

( 73 ) 


74 Children of Mary, 

well-armed to help the Abkasians against 
the Eussians. 

Then there arose dissension among his 
hearers. Old Murkos was not willing to 
trust the Poles. He had” heard that their 
language was almost the same as that of 
the Eussians; and who could guarantee 
that they would not simply be playing the 
traitor? Very hkely they were only coming 
to explore the secret paths and mountain 
passes so as to betray them to the enemy. 

Usban-ok denied this. ^^The Poles have 
been robbed of their country and their 
freedom by the Eussians, and therefore they 
make common cause with all who oppose 
the Eussians. I am not afraid of the Poles ; 
but I very much fear the Turks. If they 
help us to drive the Eussians from our 
mountains, they only do it that they them- 
selves may rule over us. But we will be 
free, not fettered like the old man on the 
Elbruz ! ’ ^ 

^^The old man on the Elbruz!^’ cried 
Malek. ^^Tell us about him, Marjom.^’ 

The old priest, whom we became ac- 
quainted with at the feast of the Tha-Nan, 
had ridden over to Usban-ok^s Juneh to 


75 


Children of Mary, 

hear what news Brak-ok had brought from 
the coast. He stroked his white beard and 
began to narrate the old legend which 
reached the Caucasus more than two thou- 
sand years ago — perhaps, through some 
banished Greeks or Romans. It may even 
be of still greater age — a tradition from 
Asia, which, under the form of the Greek 
Prometheus, describes the rebellion and 
punishment of Lucifer. 

^^Do you see the peak of Elbruz shining 
yonder over the dark pine wood? It is 
nothing but the snow and ice that never 
melt. Up there on the highest point, where 
the wind raves and rages from noon to 
midnight, from morn to eventide, there is 
an immense, flat table-rock. On it sits a 
very old man. Snow-white hair falls from 
his head; his silver beard reaches down 
to his feet, and his whole body is covered 
with white hair, hke the snowy fox in 
winter. The nails of his hands and feet 
are long and formed like the claws of the 
eagle. His eyes are blood-red and shine 
hke coals of fire. When we see the moun- 
tain lighted up long after the sun has 
sunk into the sea, it is the shining of his 


76 


Children of Mary, 

eyes. He wears heavy chains round his 
neck and loins, and on his hands and feet, 
which are firmly fastened to the rock. 
Very often on quiet nights their ratthng, 
together with his dismal groans, are heard 
from the mountain, and it always betokens 
great misfortune for our country. When 
the brave Sheik Shamyl was vanquished 
and taken prisoner by the Eussians, I heard 
the old man of Elbruz for three nights 
screaming aloud and moaning with pain. 

For thousands of years the old man has 
been sitting up there fast-chained. He was 
formerly a servant and friend of the great 
Tha (Grod) who on account of his great 
intellect honored him so highly that he 
conversed intimately with him. But wicked 
thoughts came into his head. He wanted 
to be as powerful, if not even more powerful, 
than the great Tha himself. And as he 
knew a great many of his secrets, and 
thought he knew all, he revolted against 
him, and wanted to thrust Tha from his 
throne. The madman! who can compare 
with Tha? The foolhardy creature was bound 
and fettered on the top of Elbruz. Hs your 
throne high enough here!^ said the great 


77 


Childrefi of Mary. 

Tha to him. Only a very few people have 
seen the old man of Elbruz ; for the way to 
him is very difficult and full of danger. 
But I know three old men who have seen 
him. They live far away from here in the 
eastern mountains, and they dare not for 
their lives tell all that they saw and heard. 
Nobody ever dares to go a second time to 
him. My father, who tried to go, in order 
to get counsel about the war with the Rus- 
sians, paid for his temerity with his life.^^ 

Thus spoke old Marjom. The men were 
silent and looked up at the snow-capped 
mountain and shuddered at the thought 
of the torments which the foolhardy rebel 
against the great Tha was suffering up there 
in snow and ice and everlasting chains. 
Marjub and Mara had cowered behind the 
door and hstened attentively during the 
narration. The httle sister whispered: 

^ ^Marjub, I think the wicked man with the 
great bird’s claws must be the devil whom 
the good Pole told us of yesterday.” 

Brak-ok was sitting near and, softly as 
these words were whispered, he understood 
by them that the Pole had been speaking 
to the children yesterday. His eyes glittered 


78 Children of Mary, 

ominously and lie muttered to himself: 
^^Hadschi, you were right! The children 
know where the Tha-Nan carried the 
stranger to.’’ 

He pressed his ear against the crack of 
the door, in order to learn yet more from 
the children’s conversation, and he heard 
Marjuh reprove his sister for mentioning 
the Pole. ^^How easily one of the men 
might have heard you,” said he, ^^and then 
perhaps it might have cost him his hfe, and 
who would then give us the better life which 
the old man of the Elbruz had also before 
he became wicked? But girls are always 
imprudent and never can keep a secret.” 

Brak-ok had heard enough. He deter- 
mined to watch the children closely, and 
even to use force, if cunning and pretended 
kindness did not enable him to discover 
their secret. Just then his attention was 
diverted. Usban-ok had asked whether it 
would not be advisable to send a man up 
the Elbruz to learn the opinion of the 
mountain spirit about the war. Old Marjom 
declared himself ready to undertake the task 
of discovering the will of the great Tha on 
that subject, 


79 


Children of Mary, 

A leathern sack was fetched from the 
chief Juneh, containing the bones and joints 
of one of the sheep which were slaughtered 
at the last sacrifice. Marjom, who carried 
on at the same the profitable trade of a 
soothsayer, got ready to perform his office 
with the usual juggling tricks. He described 
a circle, in the middle of which — murmuring 
secret words — he placed the skull of a goat. 
Then he strode three times round the circle 
with the leathern sack, swinging it to and 
fro and muttering strange, unintelligible 
jargon, whilst all the assembly with gloomy 
awe, silently watched his movements. Sud- 
denly he stopped and quickly emptied the 
contents of the sack on the ground over the 
goat-skull, crying out loudly: ^^Tha! Tha- 
Nan! Jesha-Tha-ok! From all lips arose 
theory: ^^Tha permits it! The skull of a 
sheep was left hanging between the horns 
of the goat^s skull. 

^^Yes, the great Tha permits it,’^ said 
Marjom, ^^and he wishes that a robust young 
man from this Juneh should risk the journey 
quite alone. Just see how the smooth frontal 
bone of the goat^s skull stands erect! 

A fresh cry of astonishment arose amongst 


80 Children of Mary. 

the superstitious audience ^ ^ Who is it to be! ^ ^ 
asked Usban-ok. ^^Not my son Malek!^’ 
^^The young men of the Juneh must cast 
lots/’ answered the soothsayer. Bring a 
bag with colored beans, and let all stand in 
a row and, blindfolded, draw out one. He 
who draws the lightest colored, is the one 
whom the old man of the Elbruz is calhng ! ” 
^^So be it,” said all present. Usban-ok 
gathered the young men of his Juneh to- 
gether, and Marjom bhndfolded them. 
Then they put their hands into the bag, 
one after the other, and drew forth a bean. 
Those who dipped into the bag first drew 
forth dark beans, blue-black, and dark- 
brown. Malek drew a light yellow one, 
and his father’s countenance fell at the 
sight of it; for there was only one more 
young man left, and if he also drew a dark 
one, then his son would be obliged to under- 
take the perilous expedition from which 
scarcely any one returned alive. In great 
suspense every one looked at the last who 
put his hand into the bag. It was Brak-ok. 
He lowered his hand slowly amongst the 
beans and tremblingly drew forth one. He 
held it still hidden in his hand till the 


81 


Children of Mary. 

bandage was removed from bis eyes. Then 
he relaxed his fingers — and lo ! — a snow- 
white bean was shining in his hand! With 
a curse he threw it from him, as if it were a 
burning coal. But it was too late; the 
bystanders had seen it, and all cried out: 
^^The old man of the Elbruz is calling the 
brave Brak-ok 1 ^ ^ 

Usban-ok was very pleased at the decision. 
He therefore invited all present to a great 
feast to be given the next evening to com- 
memorate Brak-ok^ s departure. At this 
feast, according to the custom of the Abka- 
sians, a httle table was placed before each 
man, and was changed with every dish. 
Every Abkasian dainty was served up: 
Turkey in red pepper sauce; meat and 
cheese dumplings ; finely minced mutton in 
pepper sauce ; cheese sandwiches steeped in 
butter, and millet porridge with sour milk. 
In addition, schwett flowed in streams and 
all the men did honor to it. Brak-ok alone 
was like one sentenced to death seated at 
his last meal. 

But suddenly a thought came into his 
mind and his countenance brightened up. 
^^Fool! said he. ‘^Who can force me to go 


82 


Children of Mary. 

up the Elbruz? I will pretend to go; and I 
will make use of my absence from the Juneh 
to finish my business with Hadschi, and 
get the hundred silver roubles. — That it 
should just fall to my lot! Well, I can throw 
dust in the eyes of Usban-ok and Marjom 
who are so delighted to send me off to the 
Elbruz! ^ ' 


IX. 

Various Plans. 

The morning after the parting feast, the 
sun was already above the shining summit 
of Elbruz when Brak-ok, equipped for the 
journey, left his father-in-law^ s house to 
begin the dangerous ascent of the ice-clad 
mountain. At all events his friends believed 
so. Usban-ok and the rest of the men of 
the Juneh shook hands with the traveller, 
and wished him a safe journey. The women 
and children also wished him good-bye. 

Where are Marjub and Mara?^^ said he. 

^^Yes, where are the two children? I have 
seen them very seldom in the Juneh of 
late,’^ said Usban-ok. 

^^They are rambhng about the hills, 
answered old Nana. ^^They got me to give 
them some bread and meat to-day, and ran 
ofi: quite early.’’ 

^^They must not go rambling about the 
hill s, wasting their time any more,” said 
Usban-ok. ^ Ut is high time you put Mara to 

( 83 ) 


84 


Children of Mary. 

the loom and taught her to weave beautiful 
textures such as her mother used to make. 
As for Marjub, I will myself get him some 
work to do.^^ 

Brak-ok went out of the Juneh. The 
men accompanied him as far as the skirt of 
the wood and then came back, well-pleased 
that the lot of ascending the Elbruz had 
not fallen upon them . Brak-ok went bravely 
on his way, but when the next chain of hills 
hid him from the sight of his companions, 
he sat down under a fir-tree and laughed 
scornfully to himself. ^^You fools said 
he. ^^Do you think I shall break my neck 
up in the glaciers of the Elbruz? I must 
look out for a place to hide in for a few 
days, that I may watch the Juneh, and 
more especially the two children; and I 
shall be very much surprised if I don^t have 
the hundred roubles in my purse within a 
very short time! 

Whilst Brak-ok, after a rest, was climbing 
to the top of a neighboring rock where he, 
himself concealed by shrubs, could overlook 
the valley of the Juneh and the roads which 
led to it, Mara and Marjub were with the 
Pole in the goatherd’s hut. Perecinski had 


85 


Children of Mary. 

made good use of the two weeks which had 
elapsed since the sacrifice and his first in- 
struction to the children about the better 
life and the children of Grod. They knew 
now that there is only one Grod in three 
Persons; that the great Tha-Nan was not a 
goddess, but a creature of Grod, the purest 
and holiest Virgin, who had been chosen to 
be the Mother of Grod ; that of her was born 
the Son of Grod, who lay as a little weak 
infant in the crib in the stable at Bethlehem ; 
that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for us 
and redeemed us from all our sins by His 
Precious Blood. 

Mara shed tears when the Pole told them 
about the great and painful death-agony 
and the tender love of the Savior. Marjub 
felt very angry with the Jews who so cruelly 
tormented and derided Him. But Pere- 
cinski informed the boy that the Savior 
bore all His sufferings willingly for our sins, 
and that therefore we were really the cause of 
the pain and the shame which He endured. 

Then Marjub opened his eyes wide and 
said: ^^When I was proud, and disobedient, 
and idle; and when I was angry and vin- 


86 


Children of Mary. 

dictive — did my wickedness wound and 
grieve the dear Savior?’^ 

^^Yes, Marjub, He knew all that on the 
Cross ; for He is the true and all-knowing 
God. And it grieved Him that Mara and 
Marjub, and I, were sinful; and He took 
the sin upon Himself and suffered for it.^’ 

‘H will never commit sin any more then ! 
said Marjub. 

^^Nor I either! protested Mara. 

^^That is a good resolution, said Pere- 
cinski/ ^presuming it is humble; that is, 
that you do not trust in your own strength, 
but in the grace of Jesus Christ. You must 
therefore pray to God every day and implore 
the Blessed Virgin to unite her prayers with 
yours.’’ 

^^We will,” said Mara. ‘^Marjub and I 
have always raised up our hands in prayer 
to the Blessed Mother of God every day, 
even when we did not know her, as you 
have now taught us to know her. But tell 
us how we can become children of God, and 
cleanse our hearts from sin.” 

^^What do you do, Mara, when your frock 
is soiled?” asked Perecinski. 


Children of Mary, 87 

I wash it — but I can’t wash my 

heart.” 

can also wash our hearts and souls. 
The divine Redeemer instituted a bath for 
our souls in which they are cleansed from 
all stain of sin, and we become again the 
children of Giod.” 

^^Show us that bath! Wash us in that 
bath?” cried the children. ^^But perhaps it 
is a long, long way off from our mountains,” 
said Marjub sorrowfully. 

^^No, here in this brook I can wash every 
stain from your souls. You believe in Jesus 
Christ. If I pour some of this water on 
your heads and say at the same time the 
words: baptize thee in the name of the 

Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Grhost,’ the water possesses the mysterious 
power of the blood of Jesus Christ, cleanses 
your soul from every sin, and imparts to 
you the supernatural life of children of Grod. ’ ’ 

The Pole thereupon related the history 
of the institution of holy Baptism and 
explained its effects more fully to the atten- 
tively hstening children. At length Marjub 
said: ^Hf it is so easy to make us children 
of Grod, why do you wait any longer? See, 


88 


Children of Mary 

hereis the mountain stream. Quick! baptize 
Mara and me! 

Perecinski smiled and said: ^^Well, chil- 
dren, I have been pondering over it in my 
heart for some time past, and it is my one 
and only desire to make you children of 
Grod. But could you, in these mountains, 
fulfil the duties which holy Baptism would 
impose on you? You must renounce Satan 
and all his works. And here you will be 
compelled to take part in the superstitious 
sacrifices, although they are an abomination 
in the sight of Grod. Then again, they 
would not let you go with them to fight 
against the enemy, Marjub, which you long 
so much to do, unless you first offered up 
sacrifice with the other men, and hung all 
sorts of superstitious amulets round your 
neck. And your father would oblige you 
to take vengeance on your enemy, although 
the Lord commands us: ^Love your ene- 
mies.’ I dare not baptize you here and run 
the risk of your afterwards denying the 
faith.” 

Tears came into the children’s eyes as he 
spoke these words. ^^So you will not make 
us children of Grod?” murmured Marjub. 


89 


Children of Mary. 

But Mara interposed: ^^You told us a 
little while ago about Abraham, who was 
called by God out of his home to a far-off 
land. Perhaps God will call Marjub and 
me to a foreign land. Would you be able 
to baptize us if we went away with you into 
the far-off land where your mother lives! 

Perecinski^s heart beat wildly for joy at 
the' words of the little maiden. ^^Mara/^ 
said he, ^‘Your guardian angel, guided by 
the Blessed Virgin, suggested that to you. 
^He who loves father or mother, more than 
me, is not worthy of me,’ said Jesus Christ. 
^But he who for my sake leaves father or 
mother, or brother or sister, or house or 
home, the same shall obtain eternal hfe.’ 
Yes, Mara, on the day when you are ready 
to flee with me, I will baptize you and 
make you children of God. What does my 
Marjub say!” 

Marjub looked down sorrowfully. ^^Must 
we then forsake our father!” said he. 

Would it not be better for you to make 
the beautiful doctrine of Jesus Christ known 
to father and all the other people of our 
Juneh! Yet no — they might perhaps kill 
you. — I will first tell them myself all you 


90 


Children of Mary. 

have taught us, and then you can come and 
baptize us all.^^ 

Perecinski was silent for a while; then 
he rephed: ^^That would certainly be very 
beautiful. But do you think your father 
and the men of the Juneh, who never 
pronounce the name of Christ but with 
contempt, would renounce their old super- 
stition suddenly at your word? I think, 
Mara is right. We will escape together.’^ 

^^Let me at least tryMalek and my father,^’ 
urged the boy. ^^Brak-ok and the others 
will not indeed believe me, but my father 
and brother will. If they will not, then I 
promise to run away with you and Mara.^’ 

The Pole could not mistake the noble 
impulse which actuated the boy. And 
although he felt convinced that this plan 
had very httle prospect of success — nay, 
that it threatened, not only his own safety, 
but must also render the previously arranged 
plan still more difficult, if not impossible — 
yet he would not hinder the boy from making 
such a well meant experiment. — As regarded 
himself, he generously made the sacrifice of 
his life. But XJsban-ok would make it im- 
possible for the children to visit him again, 


91 


Children of Mary. 

or go away with him. He considered there- 
fore whether it would not be better to baptize 
them at once. But he decided that it would 
be better not to. So he taught them instead 
how they could baptize each other in case 
of need; gave them further instruction 
about the teaching of Jesus Christ ; taught 
them to make acts of sorrow and contrition 
for sin ; prayed with them ; and only let them 
go when the shades of evening were closing 
over the wild rocky scene. A strange feehng 
came over him. He could scarcely bear to 
separate himself from the children. He 
made the sign of the cross over them once 
more, and called after them as they departed : 
^^Pray devoutly to Mary!^^ 

^^Yes,’^ said Mara, ^^we are really her 
children now.’^ 


X. 


Temptations. 

Mara and Marjub walked together in 
silence to the Juneh. They were thinking 
of all the truths which they had heard 
during the day which was now fading over 
the mountains. At last Mara said: wish 

I was already a child of Grod ! I am afraid 
father will never let us become Christians, 
or go to the good Pole any more.^^ 

^‘Then I will make you a child of Grod, 
and you shall make me one/^ answered 
Marjub. ^^He taught us how we could 
baptize one another. But I still think we 
shall be able to persuade father and Malek 
to become children of Grod too. Courage! 
Mara ; nobody shall ever force us to commit 
sin.’^ 

^^No, Marjub; for that would grieve the 
dear Savior who was crucified for us. But 
if father will not permit us to be made 
children of Grod, we shall not commit a sin 
if we disobey him, shall weP^ 

( 92 ) 


93 


Children of Mary. 

^ ^Certainly not! He has no right to com- 
mand us to do what would be a sin, and 
the Pole told us, we must obey Grod rather 
than men/’ 

While the children talked thus together, 
they were crossing the very rock on which 
Brak-ok had lain in hiding the whole day. 
He saw them coming, and he heard every 
Word they said. He immediately resolved 
to try to surprise them into telling him 
where the Pole was ; and Marjub had only 
just answered Mara, when there was a rust- 
ling in the bushes that grew on the sharp 
ledge of the rock, and the Abkasian stood 
before them. Mara shrieked from fear, and 
Marjub also was much startled; but he 
recovered himself quickly and said: ^^Why, 
Brak-ok ! I thought you were on the Elbruz ! ’ ’ 

^‘Before I go there I have a word to say 
to the Pole whom you have just left. So 
tell me directly where I can find him.” 

Marjub at once suspected that the man 
meant no good. So he answered calmly: 
^^We won’t tell you that, Brak-ok.” 

^^You know it then?” cried the Abkasian, 
with ghttering eyes. ^^You shall tell me! 


94 


Children of Mary. 

Be quick about it or — ’’ and he caught hold 
of the boy^s arm. 

^^Even if you beat me, I will not tell you! 
No, I will noiV'‘ answered Marjub. 

^^You, at least will tell me, little Mara! I 
will bring you a pretty veil made of silver 
threads, and a golden circlet. Look here! 
I must know where the Pole is. I dreamt 
last night that he was to show me the way 
up the Elbruz.’^ 

^^Don^t trust him, Mara! cried Marjub. 
^^He wants to kill him.^’ 

^^Don^t be afraid, I won^t tell him!’’ 

^^What! you won’t? Wait a bit, I will 
teach you to be obstinate!” With these 
words the Abkasian drew his sabre out of 
its sheath and brandished it over the girl’s 
head. 

^ ^Marjub, he is killing me!” shrieked 
Mara. ^^Oh, if I were only baptized! ” 

^^He shall not kill you,” said Marjub 
clinging on tightly to Brak-ok’s arm so that 
the man could not make use of his weapon. 
‘^Run, Mara, and tell father if he kills me! ” 

G-nashing his teeth with rage, the Abka- 
sian tried to get away from the boy. But 
hard as he struggled, he could not free 


95 


Children of Mary. 

himself. Mara ran meanwhile to the nearest 
Juneh, crying out loudly for help. Brak-ok 
saw that he could not gain his end in this 
way, so he called to the little girl to stop, 
and said to the boy: ^^Let go of me; I 
promise by the beard of my father not to 
harm you.^^ 

Marjub released his arm at once, and 
stepped back a pace. ^ ^Obstinate boy!’^ 
said Brak-ok, casting an evil look on him. 
^^Do you think, I shall not find out for 
myself where the Pole is, now that I know 
he is somewhere over there in the hollow of 
the rockf Gro to the Juneh and tell your 
father that you dared to help him to escape 
from a just punishment ! I congratulate you 
on the whipping you will get.^’ 

With these words Brak-ok left the children, 
and went towards the hollow, by the path 
along which they had just passed. Marjub 
was speechless and Mara, who had returned 
to him, wept as they looked after the morose 
and sullen looking man. 

^^If we could only warn the good Pole,^^ 
said Marjub. ^ ^Brak-ok means no good. 
But he will never be able to find the hut 


96 Children of Mary. 

to-night ; for it must be quite dark in the 
hollow now. Don’t cry, Mara!” 

The httle sister brushed away the tears 
from her eyes and answered: ^^May the 
Mother of Grod protect him from that wicked 
man ! But, Marjub I I do wish we had run 
away with him. Father will beat us and 
shut us up. Would it not be better if we 
ran away now?” 

Alone? Where to? No, Mara, we will 
go bravely home and tell father everything. 
Then if he will not be a Christian, we will 
run away, the first opportunity. What we 
may have to suffer in the meantime, we will 
bear patiently and think of our dear Lord 
who suffered so much for us.” 

^Wes, Marjub! and of the good children 
the Pole told us about, who allowed them- 
selves to be tortured and put to death.” 

^^So we will!” said the boy. And the 
children went on hand in hand back to the 
Juneh. 

Usban-ok had asked several times after 
the children during the day, and had scolded 
Nana and Murkos for not looking after them 
better. When Murkos told him, just as it 
was getting dark, that the children had 


97 


Childreyi of Mary, 

come home, he sent for them at once. 
^ ‘Where have you been idling about the 
whole day long^^ said he angrily. 

“We have been to see the Pole, whom 
Brak-ok and the others wanted to kill on 
the day of the feast, answered Marjub. 

“Been to see the Pole!^^ cried Usban-ok 
opening his eyes very wide. “Is he still 
living, and hanging about here? — as a spy 
most likely? 

“Yes, father, he is still ahve. Mara and 
I loosed his bonds and set him free that 
day when Brak-ok and the other men wanted 
to kill him. You and Marjom did not want 
him to be killed. And we have taken him 
some bread and cheese and a little dried 
mutton every day. I should have told you 
sooner, father, but I was afraid the men of 
the Juneh might do him harm. If I have 
not acted rightly, punish me father, but 
Mara is innocent, she only did as I told her. ^ ^ 

The boy^s candid speech did not fail to 
make a good impression on Usban-ok. His 
son’s brave deed pleased him; but, on the 
other hand, it made him really very angry 
that he, and all the men of the Juneh should 
have been deceived by the children. So he 


98 Children of Mary. 

said : ^ ^Of course you deserve to be punished ; 
but you shall be forgiven if you promise 
never to go again to see the Pole who 
despised our sacrifice. Besides, what can 
he want here? to be a spy upon us, and 
betray us to the enemy? 

^^You wrong him, father. He is a good 
man, and he has been very kind to us. He 
pointed out to Mara and me the right way 
to Heaven and he will show you also. Let 
me tell you what he taught us.’’ The boy 
related in simple language, the principal 
points of the Christian doctrine. Usban-ok 
hstened with ill-restrained wrath. At last 
he asked: ^^What then are our sacrifices 
which we offer up to the great Tha-Nan?” 

^^Superstition and idolatry ! ” said the boy. 

^^And what are we? What were our fore- 
fathers?” 

^Hn error, father.” 

^^What will you be after the Pole has 
washed you with this magical water?” 

^^A Christian.” 

Usban-ok could contain himself no 
longer. Shame on you!” he broke out; 
^^shame on your seducer! He shall answer 
with his life for having tried to draw you 


Children of Mary. 99 

away from the faith of your ancestors ! Has 
he baptized you yetT^ 

^‘No, we have not been baptized yet, but 
we are going to be.^^ 

‘^Rather would I see you dead at my feet! 
Murkos 1 take these traitors and bind them 
fast to two posts in the stable ; whip them 
every morning and evening till they lose all 
desire of being Christians ; and I hold you 
responsible with your life for their safe 
custody. We will catch the Pole to-morrow. 
They themselves shall show us where he is 
hidden.’^ 


XI. 


The Russians come. 

Usban-ok^s plan for apprehending the 
Pole against whom he was so much incensed, 
was unexpectedly frustrated on the following 
morning. 

In the middle of the night a messenger 
came from N aih , — the prince whose acquaint- 
ance we made in the beginning of our story, 
— with the news that the Eussians had 
advanced from the north, and requested 
that a council be held forthwith. Usban-ok 
had his people at once summoned and the 
horses saddled. A great fire in the middle 
of the court-yard lighted up the busy crowd 
of men who were packing provisions and 
war material on beasts of burden, testing 
the sharpness of their swords ; loading guns j 
fastening saddle-girths and fixing bridles in 
the utmost hurry and excitement. 

^^The Eussians will soon have reached 
the sepulchre in Ibi-hollow,^^ said the mes- 
senger. 


( 100 ) 


101 


Children of Mary, 

they advance to the three rocks, be- 
neath which Sheik Zam-ok lies buried, our 
home is lost,’^ said Malek to old Murkos. 

^^Yes, there is an old prophecy to that 
effect which I heard when I was a child, 
answered Murkos. ^^Ride off quickly and 
lose no time!’’ 

^^What is my father waiting for?” said 
Malek. 

^^He has just gone to the children who 
are bound in the stable,” said Murkos. 
^^He had them well beaten last night, but it 
has not done any good. I knew Marjub 
was as obstinate as a mule ; but that Mara 
also should endure to be beaten till the 
blood ran rather than give in, I should not 
have beheved possible. The Pole must have 
bewitched the children, but I will make him 
pay for it when I catch him! ” 

Usban-ok had in fact gone to the stable, 
where the two children lay on the hard 
straw bound with cords and aching in every 
hmb from the cruel punishment they had 
undergone. When they saw their father 
coming they feared some new suffering was 
in store for them, and they lifted up their 
hands to him imploringly. 


102 Children of Mary. 

^‘Have you come to your senses yet^^ 
said the father, — ^^No? — Well, so much the 
worse for you — I will soon conquer your 
obstinacy. I am going off at once, with all 
the men of the Juneh to meet the Eussians. 
Marjub, you have shown that in spite of 
your youth, you possess courage and pru- 
dence. If you obey me I will let you go 
with us.^’ . 

^^0 father, I will obey you in all that is 
right. Let me go with you to fight against 
the Eussians!^’ 

^^Will you be true to the faith of your 
forefathers, and give up all this nonsense 
about Christianity 

That was a very severe temptation for 
Marjub. What a joy it would have been 
for him to go with his father, armed with a 
sword and a rifie, to meet the enemy! — He 
was silent for a moment, and Mara was 
beginning to fear her brother would give 
way, when Marjub said in a tremulous voice : 
dare not, father!^’ 

Usban-ok uttered a curse, and gave the 
boy a cut with his riding-whip. Then he 
called old Nana to him and said: ^^They 
are both to remain tied up here, and have 


103 


Children of Mary, 

only bread and water till my return. The 
Pole has bewitched them ; but I will drag 
him here, at my horse^s tail, when I lay 
hold of him; and make him take off the 
spell. 

A few minutes afterwards the children 
heard the horsemen leave the Juneh, crack- 
ing their long whips as they rode away. 
Daylight was breaking over the snow-capped 
Elbruz whilst the darkness of night still 
prevailed in the ravine. As the horsemen 
reached the nearest hills, a man, who had 
evidently been resting under the shelter of 
an old fir tree, stood up and went towards 
Usban-ok who was riding at the head of 
his troop. 

^^Brak-ok!^^ cried the latter in astonish- 
ment, reining in his horse. thought you 
were far away from here on the road to the 
mountain.’^ 

was on the way there. But as I was 
resting under the oak tree in the filbert 
hollow yesterday, I fell asleep, and in a 
dream the old man of Elbruz appeared to 
me. He shook his hoary head till his long 
beard waved to and fro like the mane of 
your stead, and he said ; before I went up 


104 Children of Mary. 

to him I must slay the Pole who was 
bewitching the children of Usban-ok. So I 
dare not venture up to him on the Elbruz, 
until I take with me the head of the Pole. 
Help me to catch the enchanter, who has 
hidden himself somewhere down there in 
the hollows of the rock.’^ 

TJ sban-ok and his people naturally believed 
Brak-ok’s story, for the Abkasians are very 
superstitious and place great faith in dreams. 
They were therefore quite ready to under- 
take a systematic search for the Pole. 
Usban-ok was just giving his orders when 
a second messenger, mounted on a horse all 
covered with foam, reached the top of the 
pass, and urged them to hurry on, saying: 

Quick! quick, noble Usban-ok! The Rus- 
sians are not three miles distant from the 
sepulchre of Sheik Zam-ok; and if the 
gallant Naib does not soon get help, he will 
not be able to hold out against the over- 
whelming odds. If we can only succeed in 
detaining the enemy a couple of days in the 
pass, we shall get help. Notice has already 
come that the Pasha’s troops have landed 
together with some Poles, who have artillery 


Children of Mary. 105 

with them. We hope to get them to the 
front within two days.’^ 

^ ^Forward then!^^ shouted Usban-ok. 
^^The Pole will not escape you. Hunger 
must soon force him out of his hiding-place. 
Lie in wait for him, and take his head to the 
old man of the Elbruz.’^ 

The mountain was now shining in the 
first rays of the morning sun. The Abka- 
sians looked upon this as a lucky omen, and 
pushed on towards the valley. Brak-ok 
descended into the ravine, which he had 
crossed in the evening^ s twilight, and began 
a strict search as soon as daylight permitted. 
But he failed to find anything. Perecinski 
had seen him, and recognized him at once 
as the son-in-law of Usban-ok, who had 
drawn his sword in such a threatening 
manner on the day of the feast. It was 
quite clear to the Pole that the Abkasian 
was searching for him ; and he concluded 
that this was the result of the courageous 
conduct of the children in presence of their 
father. ^^When he finds nothing up there, 
he will search this bank on his way back, 
and will discover the hut.’’ 

In all haste, he removed every trace which 


106 Children of Mary, 

might betray his presence, and then climbed 
noiselessly up into the thick branches of the 
fir which spread its sheltering fohage over 
the hut. He had had barely time to secret 
himself in a safe hiding-place from which 
he could watch the entrance, when he heard 
the Abkasian already approaching. In a 
few moments he was standing before the 
entrance. Then Perecinski watched him, 
loading his rifie and unsheathing his scimi- 
tar, creep into the hut. The Pole thanked 
his guardian angel that he had seen the 
Abkasian coming. Brak-ok ventured very 
cautiously, holding himself ready for defence 
if attacked, to enter the interior hut. Finding 
the place empty, he retreated and lay down 
opposite the entrance concealed behind a 
shrub. Evidently he was convinced he had 
found the Pole^s hiding place, and was 
waiting for him to return. 

The Pole was watching all this. What 
would become of him if his enemy persisted 
in waiting till hunger and thirst compelled 
him to leave his place of concealment? If 
he had only run away at once ! Hour after 
hour passed slowly on. The hot August 
sun rose higher and higher an4 then sank 


107 


Children of Mary. 

towards the horizon. Still the Abkasian 
sat watching, rifle in hand. The Pole 
exhausted and tormented with thirst, clung 
to the trunk of the tree. The children had, 
to-day, for the first time, omitted coming. 
^^What can have happened P’ he asked him- 
self; ^^and how long shall I be able to hold 
out hereP’ The sun went down; twilight 
came on ; and as long as his sight permitted 
him to see through the ever increasing 
darkness, he observed the Abkasian clinging 
obstinately to his post. 

Usban-ok and his troop had in the mean- 
time made good progress and by evening 
they reached the sepulchre in the Ibi-hollow, 
the three gigantic rocks, around which 
blazed the campfires of the mountaineers, 
who at the call of Prince Naib had hurried 
from all parts of the mountains to resist 
the advance of the enemy through the pass. 
The danger was great ; for the Russians far 
outnumbered the Abkasians. Besides the 
mountaineers had exhausted nearly all their 
ammunition. What Usban-ok had taken 
with him was at once shared amongst them. 
It might last for one more day. Then, if 


108 Children of Mary. 

no help came, the fate of the mountaineers 
was decided. 

On the same evening Marjub and Mara, 
who were still lying bound in the stable, 
prayed fervently to the Blessed Virgin for 
help and rescue. ^^See, dear Mother, how 
it is with thy children! ’’ cried Mara. ^^Old 
Murkos has just beaten us ; the good Pole 
is pursued by the wicked Brak-okj our 
father and brother are gone off to the war ; 
when they come back they will turn us out 
of the Juneh homeless and destitute; and 
if they do not come back, and the Eussians 
are victorious, what will become of us then? 
0 dearest Mother, remember that we are 
thy children! 


XII. 


The Crisis. 

Three days had passed since the events 
related above. 

Old Murkos was seated in front of the 
enclosure of Usban-ok^s Juneh smoking his 
pipe in the twilight, with the servant who 
had been left behind with him to take care 
of the homestead. 

‘T wonder how it is/^ said he, ^^that no 
messenger has brought us news of the battle. 
I have not heard the cannon’s roar since 
this morning ; whereas the whole of the day 
yesterday they re-echoed in the mountain 
pass and in our lonely valley.” 

^^The Eussians must have retreated and 
our people be pursuing them;” remarked 
the man. ^ T wish I was there ; but riding 
is painful to me ever since one of those 
blood-thirsty fellows sent a bullet through 
my thigh. — I wish it had gone clean through 
his skull!” 


(109) 


110 


Children oj Mary. 

don^t like it, though, that no messenger 
comes ; said Murkos shaking his head, and 
he smoked his pipe again in silence as he 
looked towards the mountain pass by which 
lay the road to the nearest Juneh. 

All at once a lurid hght burst forth over 
the neighboring valley, and streamed up 
into the heavens. ^^What is that^’ cried 
both together as they quickly rose and left 
the homestead. 

^^That light can^t be from the sun,^’ said 
Murkos, ^^for the top of Elbruz is plunged 
in darkness.’^ 

really think old Marjom’s Juneh is 
on fire;’’ rejoined his companion. ^^Can it 
be an accident? or has the enemy done it?^^ 

The men stood at the gate of the Juneh 
not knowing what to do, and looked towards 
the valley, which was being more and more 
lighted up by the increasing glare of the 
flames. 

Suddenly a trooper in full speed galloped 
up. ^Tt is Malek!^^ cried Murkos. ^^But 
good Grod ! look how he sways about in the 
saddle and clutches tight hold of the horse’s 
mane!” 

It was indeed Malek, who could only 


Ill 


Children of Mary, 

keep himself in the saddle with great effort, 
and actually fell into the old man^s arms as 
soon as he reached the Juneh. ^^You are 
wounded!^’ cried Murkos. ^^What has 
happened? 

is lost,’^ said Malek, ^^Treason! 
Fhght!^^ 

Murkos supported the wounded man 
against the Juneh fence, and ran to the 
neighboring brook to get some water to 
moisten his parched hps and bathe his 
temples. Then he said: Treason? — Have 
the Poles betrayed us?’’ 

The youth recovered himself a little ; then 
shaking his head said: ^^Not the Poles. They 
fought bravely; our young Pole too! No, 
it was Hadschi, the treacherous hound who 
sells both friend and foe, who showed the 
Russians a way across the rock, and thus 
enabled them to surround us. There was 
no use in fighting after that. Our people 
are nearly all dead. Father fell at my side ! 
Only a few of us were able to cut our way 
through, and they are now wandering about 
in the hills. Ah, how dark it is getting! 
Murkos, it is all over with me! Lay me 
down here on the bank of the stream and 


112 Children of Mary. 

let me die. Save the people of the Juneh 
and my father^s treasures. Marjom’s huts 
are already burning. Quick! — save — flee 
— they are coming! 

Murkos seeing that the dying man, was 
beyond the reach of help, sorrowfully carried 
out his wishes. He signaled to his com- 
panion and between them they carried him 
and placed him under shelter on the brink 
of the stream, and the youth, who was mor- 
tally wounded, soon became unconscious. 

^^His spirit is going to the hero spirits of 
our people,’^ said Murkos, and a tear fell 
on to his grey beard. ^^We must now see 
how we and the women can escape from the 
enemy. 

The two men overcome with grief hurried 
into the Juneh. The women, who as soon 
as it was dark had retired into one of the 
huts to spin, uttered heartrending cries 
when they heard that their beloved master 
was dead, and the enemy approaching. For 
a few minutes the Juneh resounded with 
sobs and lamentations. Then Murkos pre- 
vailed on them in all haste to collect the 
clothes and valuables; the gold, precious 
stones, and beautiful weapons. And hardly 


113 


Children of Mary, 

had half an hour passed since the arrival of 
the dying Malek, when the fugitives, under 
the guidance of the old servant of the Juneh, 
hastily made their escape, and — under cover 
of the darkness — retired into the higher and 
more inaccessible parts of the mountains. 

In the midst of the hurry and confusion, 
no one had thought of the two children; 
and not a soul had entered the stable where 
they were bound ; for in that forsaken nook 
there were neither clothes nor treasures to 
save. Marjub and Mara heard the cry of 
distress plainly. The boy said: Bad news 
of our troops must have been received 
but the children did not suspect the full 
meaning of it. Then, when all around was 
quiet again, they prayed together, and fell 
asleep. How long they slept they knew 
not ; but suddenly they were awakened by 
a loud noise. Eough men^s voices were 
speaking in a tongue unknown to the chil- 
dren. 

^^Mara,^^ said the boy after hstening at- 
tentively, think it is the Eussians!’^ 

^^0 dear! what ever will become of us?’^ 
said the little girl. 


114 


Children of Mary, 

^^Hush, hide yourself under the straw; — 
I can hear footsteps. 

The children had scarcely had time to 
conceal themselves when the stable door 
was pushed open and two bearded Cossacks 
entered with a torch. 

Quite empty! said one of the men to 
his companion. ^^There is nothing to be 
got here. We must go over to the huts, 
where those dogs of Abkasians lived, if we 
want to find anything worth having.’^ 

^^The birds are flown;’’ replied the other 
with a curse. ^^At all events we will burn 
down the nest.” So saying they left the 
stable. 

The children did not understand the 
conversation, but a dreadful suspicion came 
into the boy’s mind. 

^^Mara,” saidhe tohishttle sister, think 
our people must have either run away or 
been killed, and the enemy has taken pos- 
session of the Juneh. I have always heard 
that the Russians burn down the homesteads 
they take by storm but drive away all the 
cattle. I am afraid they will burn our 
Juneh down too. Look, what a light comes 
in through the cracks of the door! ” 


115 


Children of Mary, 

^^0 dear, 0 dear!’^ moaned the little girl. 
^^They have set fire to father^ s house! Very 
soon the other huts will be ablaze too, and 
then the stable also, and we shall be burnt 
to death. 

The children heard the enemy withdraw, 
shrieking and shouting ; and soon after the 
crackling and roaring of the fiames was 
unmistakably heard. ^‘We will call out for 
help;’’ said Marjub; ^^even the Russians 
will have pity on us, and will not let us be 
burnt to death.” 

^^Ah, Marjub, if we were only baptized! 
If you had only agreed to run away with 
me and the good Pole! ” 

meant well, Mara, and Grod will not 
forsake us. We are now in danger of death ; 
and I would baptize you, as the good Pole 
taught us to do, if I could only reach the 
water pitcher which Murkos placed behind 
the door. Stay, I will try once more whether 
I cannot get the straps off my hands.” 

The boy tried with all his strength to 
burst asunder the leathern straps which 
bound his hands, and although he did not 
succeed in doing that, he managed to loosen 
them somewhat, and succeeded at length in 


116 


Children of Mary. 

releasing one hand, although it was very 
much swollen. He now tried to undo the 
rope which was knotted round his body and 
fastened to a post at a distance of four or 
five feet. 

In the meantime the flames, fanned by a 
strong wind, made furious progress. One 
after another the huts caught fire — blazed 
fiercely — then fell in with a crash, as the 
burning rafters gave way — and myriads of 
glowing sparks burst from the fiery ruins 
up into the reddened sky — and then fell in 
showers to the earth again. Long tongues of 
lurid flame leaped up — blazed for a moment 
as they devoured some new material, and 
then as suddenly subsided. Soon the whole 
Juneh was one mighty conflagration ; and 
the glare of the devouring flames lighted up 
the lonely mountain valley with a brightness 
equal to day. 

Marjub had just succeeded in loosening 
the cord which bound him to the post when 
the first sparks fell upon the dry thatched 
roof of the stable and set it on fire. A 
burning heat and suffocating smoke, im- 
pelled by the wind soon filled the place. 
Marjub rushed forward to untie his little 


117 


Children of Mary, 

sister’s bonds ; but she said to him implor- 
ingly: ^ ^Baptize me first, brother, and then 
we will flee. But if you cannot loosen the 
cord, then do you escape alone, and leave 
me here!” 

Mara fell on her knees in prayer, Marjub 
hastily seizing the water jug, said to his 
little sister: ^^You believe in Grod the Father 
who created us, and in Jesus Christ who 
redeemed us, and in the Holy Grhost who 
makes us children of Grod?” 
do believe! ” 

Then Marjub lifted up the ]ug and poured 
the water on the httle girl’s forehead as he 
said slowly and distinctly: baptize thee 

in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
and of the Holy Grhost.” 

^^Now I will gladly die,” said Mara, ^Tor 
I am a child of God. Flee, Marjub, you 
will never be able to undo the cord. Bun, 
the roof is on fire!” 

‘Tirst baptize me, and we will see what 
can be done. Take the handle of the 
pitcher. I believe in Almighty God, and in 
all that He has revealed! Now pour the 
water on my head and pronounce, at the 
same time, the words of holy Baptism.” 


118 Children of Mary, 

So saying h^bowed down his head, that 
even with herfettered hands, Mara might 
be able to baptize him. In a moment it 
was done. — The little sister pronounced the 
words of Baptism as the waters of salvation 
flowed over her brother's brow. 

Both were now children of Grod, and their 
joy was so full that for a moment they 
forgot their ever increasing danger. The 
roof above them was on fire — the heat was 
stifling — and the place was full of smoke. 
Marjub trembling in every limb, tried hard 
to undo the cords which bound his sister 
whilst she was imploring him to flee. With 
all his efforts he could not succeed; and 
bursting into tears he called upon Grod and 
the Blessed Virgin, and their guardian 
angels to help them in their dire distress. 
He was beginning to feel the stupifying 
effects of the smoke under which Mara was 
already sinking fast, when he again called 
out loudly for help. It seemed to him as if 
he heard some one answer from a distance. 
Could it be so? or was it merely an effect of 
the imagination? — The place began to swim 
round, and he sank unconscious to the 
ground by the side of his sister. 


119 


Children of Mary, 

Marjub was not deceived. It was Pere- 
cinski who had heard the hoy^s last cry for 
help; and, led by it, he rushed into the 
burning stable with the courage of despair. 
Instantly he snatched up the unconscious 
children, and bore them through the smoke 
and fire, safely into the open air. Five 
minutes later their rescue would have been 
impossible. Just as he reached the edge of 
the stream which was only a few hundred 
paces away, the roof of the stable fell in. 

We will now leave Perecinski with the 
rescued children to care for and attend to 
in their suffering state, whilst we briefly 
relate what befell him from the time of his 
concealment, whenthe Abkasian was seeking 
for him and his sudden and timely appear- 
ance on the scene of the destructive fire. 
He succeeded under the shadow of night in 
getting away from the tree near which 
Brak-ok sat watching for him, and escaped 
out of the ravine. He made his way through 
dense woodlands towards the hills, and 
wandered about for a whole day. Overcome 
by hunger and fatigue he despaired of ever 
reaching the sea coast, when to his great 
surprise he heard the sound of his native 


120 Children of Mary, 

language. It came from a detachment of 
Polish troops who were marching to the as- 
sistance of the Abkasians. Gladly he joined 
them ; and he fought in their ranks at the 
sepulchre. When Hadschi Keranduk^s 
treachery enabled the Eussians to surround 
them, he cut his way through, and hurried to 
the Juneh of Usban-ok, whom he had seen 
fall, and who, when dying, had begged of him 
to save his children. He feared he could 
never be in time for he had seen the Cossacks 
on the road to the Juneh in advance of 
him ; and before he had climbed the heights 
of the mountain pass, he saw the glare of 
the burning homestead. But an inward 
voice still urged him on and he came, as we 
have seen, just at the right moment to 
snatch the children from the flames. 

The traitor Hadschi and his accomplice 
Brak-ok received their deserts soon after 
the defeat. As Brak-ok did not succeed in 
finding the Pole, it occured to him that the 
head of one of those who had fallen in the 
battle would bring him in the hundred 
roubles just as well as that of Perecinski, 
whom neither Hadschi nor the commander 
of the Eussian outpost had ever seen. So 


121 


Children of Mary, 

he carried to Hadschi the head of a young 
Russian noble in a leather bag. And as 
they mutually distrusted each other, they 
both went to the nearest frontier fort to 
receive the Judas money. In a moment the 
Russian commander recognized the head of 
the pretended deserter as that of a young 
man who had been an intimate friend of 
his. So he made short work of them both, 
and ordered Hadschi and Brak-ok to be 
hanged on the nearest tree. 

Perecinski, in company with the two 
children, made his way in safety to the httle 
harbor of Toab on the coast. There his 
own and the children’s adventures were 
made known to the Polish authorities who 
permitted them to travel by the next ship 
to Trebizond. Whilst Perecinski accom- 
panied by a Polish officer, whose recom- 
mendation obtained for him a situation with 
a rich fellow-countryman in Constantinople, 
was on his journey thither, Mara andMarjub, 
now Mary and Martin, remained with a 
Capuchin Missionary in Trebizond, and pre- 
pared themselves with great fervor for their 
first Communion. Perecinski could not, 
of course, go back to his own country, 


122 Children of Mary, 

so he formed a new home for himself in 
America, and sent for his dear old mother 
to go and hve with him. But when he 
wrote to Trebizond to invite the children 
also to share his home, he received an 
answer that the children of Mary had been 
already taken by our dear Lord to their true 
home in Heaven. 






1 . 

•j' 


\ 



% 






I I ' 



\ 

K 




1 




> 

■ ) 



I ' • « 

. / 

« I 























library of congress 


0 0 0 E 0 fl 3 a *=3 1 7 


